Russia and Ukraine begin major prisoner swap after Trump announcement

The exchange marked the first stage of the planned swap, with both sides confirming the return of captured servicemen, News.Az reports, citing TRT World. 

Russia’s Defence Ministry said the United Arab Emirates provided humanitarian assistance during the exchange process. The released Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological support before being transferred to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the returned Ukrainian prisoners included privates, sergeants and officers, many of whom had been held in Russian captivity since 2022.

Last week, Trump announced that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to a three-day ceasefire from Saturday through Monday alongside the large-scale prisoner exchange.

Russia and Ukraine previously carried out two exchanges in April. During Orthodox Easter, both sides exchanged 175 servicemen each, while another swap on April 24 involved 193 prisoners from each side.