Ukraine and Russia conducted a new exchange of prisoners of war on Thursday, officials from both nations said, in another wave of swaps under the deal negotiated in Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted photos of the homecoming soldiers, most of them having spent months in captivity since the initial days of Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Wrapped in the national flag of Ukraine, the soldiers looked visibly shaken and relieved.
Kyiv’s POW coordinating council asserted the Ukrainian servicemen who took part were hurt or sick. Moscow’s defence ministry explained that the Russian prisoners being swapped would also undergo medical care and rehabilitation.
Though no official figures were announced by either, this exchange highlights one of the few continuing areas of cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow despite languid diplomatic efforts to bring the war to an end. The prisoner exchanges are a rare but important humanitarian act in the midst of the ongoing conflict.
