KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine and Russia completed a prisoner swap on Thursday, according to officials from both countries. This exchange is part of an agreement reached in Istanbul. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shared photos of the released Ukrainian soldiers, who appeared happy and were wrapped in the national flag. Most of them had been held captive since the early stages of Russia’s invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian prisoners exchanged were reported to be ill or injured, as confirmed by Kyiv’s coordinating council for POWs. Similarly, the Russian prisoners will also receive medical treatment and rehabilitation, as stated by Moscow’s defense ministry. Both Ukraine and Russia, despite limited progress in peace talks, have not disclosed the specific number of prisoners exchanged. (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Alison Williams)
