Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners
Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners
Kyiv and Moscow have agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each over the weekend. Photo: AFP
Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds more prisoners on Saturday as part of a major swap that amounted to a rare moment of cooperation in otherwise failed efforts to reach a ceasefire.
The exchange came hours after Kyiv came under a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack that left at least 15 people injured.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's defence ministry said each side brought home 307 more soldiers on Saturday, a day after each released a total of 390 combatants and civilians.
'We expect more to come tomorrow,' Zelensky said on his official Telegram channel. Russia's defence ministry also said it expected the exchange to be continued, though it did not give details.
Hours earlier, explosions and anti-aircraft fire were heard throughout Kyiv as many sought shelter in subway stations as Russian drones and missiles targeted the Ukrainian capital overnight.
In talks held in Istanbul earlier this month – the first time the two sides met face to face for peace talks since Russia's 2022 full-scale military operation – Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each. (AP)
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