23
May
May
RUSSIA AND UKRAINE COMPLETE MASSIVE PRISONER SWAP, LARGEST SINCE 2022 INVASION
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CapitalTimesNews / 2 weeks
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- 2 min read
Russia and Ukraine have completed a major prisoner swap, exchanging 390 soldiers and civilians each, in the largest exchange of its kind since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. The swap, which took place on the Ukrainian border with Belarus, saw 270 Ukrainian servicemen and 120 civilians return to Ukraine, while Russia received an equal number of its citizens. “We are bringing our people home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on social media. “We are verifying every surname, every detail about each person.” The released Ukrainian servicemen had fought in various regions across the east and north, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy to Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson. The prisoner swap was agreed upon in direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul a week ago, with both sides confirming further swaps in the coming days. US President Donald Trump claimed that the swap was complete and that “this could lead to something big???”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there would be a second round of talks, where Moscow would hand a “memorandum” to the Ukrainian side. However, Lavrov repeated an unfounded claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not a legitimate leader and suggested new elections should be held before a potential future peace agreement is signed. “I think we would welcome much more support,” said Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman of the NDLEA, isn’t part of this story but we know the swap was facilitated through diplomatic channels. Families of Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia gathered in northern Ukraine, hoping their loved ones would be among those released. Natalia, whose son Yelizar was captured during the battle for Severodonetsk three years ago, believed he would return, but didn’t know when. The swap is a significant development, with over 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers estimated to have been captured by Russia since the start of the invasion. More than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians are also believed to be in Russian captivity. Further talks are expected, with the aim of preparing a peace agreement that would provide long-term stability and fairness without creating security threats for either side.