Russia and Ukraine exchanged 103 prisoners of war each.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 103 prisoners of war each. Reuters reported this, citing officials from both sides.

 

It was reported that Ukraine's military intelligence stated that another prisoner exchange is expected to take place by the end of the month.

 

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the sides have regularly exchanged prisoners of war. At the same time, the positions between Kyiv and Moscow on the terms of an agreement to end the war still differ sharply.

 

According to a post on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Telegram page, the Ukrainian servicemen returned from Russia include members of the Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, and the National Guard.

 

The exchange on the Russian side was reported by the Interfax agency, citing the Ministry of Defense.

 

Dmytro, a 29-year-old Ukrainian who spent three years in captivity, told the Reuters agency that he was glad to return home. He called on the families of servicemen still in captivity not to lose hope.

 

Anton Tymoshenko, a 43-year-old Ukrainian serviceman who spent 28 months in captivity, said that during captivity, the most important thing for them was letters from relatives. Neither serviceman provided information about which areas of the war they had fought in.

 

Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine's military intelligence, announced that the next exchange is expected to take place by the end of the month. According to him, the next exchange is expected to bring back servicemen who have been held in captivity for a long time, including Ukrainian defenders who took part in the defense of Mariupol, a city besieged by Russia in the early stages of the war.