Mariupol and Chernobyl defenders freed in massive POW swap - VIDEO

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each on Friday, marking another large-scale swap between the two sides amid their ongoing conflict, according to statements from both governments.

The Russian defence ministry said 205 Russian servicemen were returned from areas controlled by Kyiv, while an equal number of Ukrainian prisoners were handed over in exchange. The swap was confirmed by officials in both Moscow and Kyiv, News.Az reports, citing France 24.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said most of the Ukrainian soldiers released in the exchange had been held in Russian captivity since 2022. He noted that the operation represented the first phase of a planned larger 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange previously discussed with US involvement.

The exchange follows recent diplomatic claims by US President Donald Trump that a broader prisoner swap agreement would take place alongside a short ceasefire arrangement. However, both sides have since accused each other of violating truce-related understandings, while fighting and aerial strikes have continued.

Ukrainian officials said some of the returned soldiers include fighters from major battles early in the war, including the defense of Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant and the Chernobyl exclusion zone during the initial Russian advance in 2022.

On the Russian side, the defence ministry said its returned servicemen were taken to Belarus for medical and psychological support. It also noted that humanitarian assistance for the exchange process was provided with the involvement of the United Arab Emirates.

Prisoner swaps remain one of the few consistent areas of coordination between Russia and Ukraine since the war began in 2022, even as broader diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain stalled.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada