Russia and Ukraine say a major prisoner swap has begun
A major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine has begun, the countries said, in one of the few signs of progress from their direct talks last week in Istanbul.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the first phase of the exchange was bringing home 390 Ukrainians, with further releases expected over the weekend.
Advertisement
'It's very important to bring everyone home,' he wrote on Telegram, thanking all who worked to secure their return and pledging to continue diplomatic efforts to make more exchanges possible.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said each side had released 270 military personnel and 120 civilian detainees. The exchange is 'planned to continue in coming days,' it said.
Ukraine's 65th Mechanised Brigade (Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
In Turkey last week, Ukraine and Russia agreed to the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side in their first direct peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion.
That meeting lasted only two hours and brought no breakthrough in efforts to stop the fighting.
Advertisement
The swap was taking place at the border with Belarus in northern Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.
The released Russians were taken to Belarus for medical treatment, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
The exchange, which also would be the biggest swap of Ukrainian civilians at one time, did not appear to herald any halt in fighting.
Russia launched two ballistic missiles at infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, killing one worker and injuring eight others – four critically, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper.
Advertisement
It was the first recorded attack on the port since March 11.
Fighting continues along the 620-mile front line, where tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed, and neither country has relented in its deep strikes.
News of the prisoner release emerged when US president Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had carried out a large exchange.
Russian servicemen (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP)
'A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine,' Mr Trump said on the Truth Social platform. He said it would 'go into effect shortly.'
Advertisement
He added in the post that 'this could lead to something big???' — apparently referring to other diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.
After the May 16 talks, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan called the prisoner swap a 'confidence-building measure' and said the parties had agreed in principle to meet again.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that there has been no agreement yet on the venue for the next round of talks as diplomatic manoeuvering continued.
European leaders have accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts while he tries to press his larger army's battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land.
Advertisement
The Istanbul meeting revealed both sides clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement.
The Kremlin has pushed back on a temporary halt to hostilities, and Mr Putin has said any such truce must come with a freeze on Western arms supplies to Ukraine and an end to Ukraine's mobilisation drive.
A senior Ukrainian official said in Istanbul that Russia had introduced new, 'unacceptable demands' to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory.
The official, who was not authorised to make official statements, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The proposal had not been previously discussed, the official said.
Mr Putin has long demanded as a key condition for a peace deal that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the four regions that Russia annexed in September 2022 but never fully controlled.
Mr Zelensky has warned that if Russia continues to reject a ceasefire and make 'unrealistic demands,' it will signal deliberate efforts to prolong the war — a move that should bring tougher international sanctions.
Russia's Defence Ministry said it had shot down 788 Ukrainian drones away from the battlefield between May 20-23.
Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 175 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as a ballistic missile since late Thursday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
25 minutes ago
- Sky News
First female US ambassador to Russia to leave her role
The first female US ambassador to Russia is leaving her role after serving through one of the most difficult periods in relations between the two countries. Lynne Tracy, who has been based in Moscow, said she is "proud to have represented my country" in the Russian capital "during such a challenging time". There is no suggestion she has been removed from her role by the Trump administration. The departure of the career diplomat appointed by former president Joe Biden comes as Russia and the United States discuss a potential reset in their ties, which sharply deteriorated after Moscow launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022. President Donald Trump has said there are potentially big investment deals to be struck, but is growing increasingly frustrated that his efforts to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine have so far not resulted in a meaningful ceasefire. In a statement shared by the US embassy in Russia on Telegram, Ms Tracy said: "As I leave Russia, I know that my colleagues at the embassy will continue to work to improve our relations and maintain ties with the Russian people. "I have been inspired by my meetings with Russians who love their country and work every day for a better future. I would like to conclude with lines from Pushkin's poem 'To Chaadayev', which speak of the love for the Motherland that lives in each of us. Goodbye!" The embassy said it wanted to "express our gratitude for her contributions based on consistent diplomacy, deep respect for Russian culture, and dedicated service to the American people". In a statement earlier this month, the embassy said Ms Tracy, who arrived in Moscow in January 2023 and was greeted by protesters chanting anti-US slogans when she went to the foreign ministry to present her credentials, would leave her post soon. She was notably involved in efforts to win the release of US citizens jailed in Russia, including journalist Evan Gershkovich and former marine Paul Whelan, who were eventually freed in August 2024 as part of a big East-West prisoner swap. Ms Tracy, who took over from John Sullivan, had previously served as the second-highest official at the US Embassy in Moscow, the deputy chief of mission, from 2014 to 2017. She was the ambassador to Armenia at the time she was nominated to replace Mr Sullivan after he retired. Ms Tracy, who speaks Russian, had also worked at US diplomatic outposts including Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan. She majored in Soviet Studies and holds a law degree.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Flattery will get you everywhere: The world leaders who have decided sucking up to Trump is the best way to handle him
Donald Trump was in Europe for all of 24 hours this week, flying into The Hague to show his face at the NATO summit before hopping back aboard Air Force One and returning to Washington. But this very short window provided plenty of insight into how America's Western allies are approaching their interactions with the US President. The two-day event would typically see members of the transatlantic security bloc discuss a host of issues, particularly at a time when Russia 's war continues to rage in Ukraine, the Middle East is mired in turmoil and China is growing ever stronger. Instead, it was effectively watered down to a single-issue press conference in which NATO's European cohort promised to spend more on defence and thanked the US for the pleasure of doing so. If it wasn't clear enough the first time round, leaders have recognised in Trump's second term that stroking the former reality TV star and real estate mogul's ego likely constitutes the path of least resistance in their dealings with him. To be clear, a policy of knee-bending and fawnery is hardly a useful approach to conducting international diplomacy and advancing the interests of one's country. Indeed, Trump has gone on record expressing admiration for the likes of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un – authoritarians and dictators whose strength has earned them respect from the Orange Don. But it seems that sucking up to the leader of the free world – at least in public – is the most efficient way to avoid his ire… or to simply get him out the door. With that in mind, here are just a few glaring examples of world leaders going out of their way to pump up the Trump. Rutte As Trump prepared to fly to the Netherlands for the NATO summit, the alliance's Secretary-General Mark Rutte sent him a flurry of fawning text messages. 'Mr President, dear Donald, Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer,' the gushing texts read. 'You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy but we've got them all signed onto 5 percent! 'Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. 'Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win. Safe travels and see you at His Majesty's dinner!' Rutte signed off. We know the contents of the private messages because Trump gleefully plastered them on social media, forcing Rutte to bat down speculation that he was pandering to the President with texts that made him, and Europe, look weak. The NATO chief later suffered another gaffe during a press conference with Trump in The Hague. The US President, ranting about America's involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, characterised the two foes as children having a squabble in the playground. 'They're not gonna be fighting each other. They've had it. Like two kids in a schoolyard - you know they fight like hell, and you can't stop them. Let them fight for about two three minutes and then it's easier to stop them,' Trump said. Rutte then quipped that 'sometimes Daddy has to use strong language', in a pointed reference to Trump's use of a forceful expletive in an interview when chastising the arch foes for breaking a ceasefire deal. A delighted Trump later told reporters Rutte had made the comment 'because he likes me'. 'He likes me, I think he likes me! If he doesn't, I'll let you know and I'll come back and I'll hit him hard OK?' 'He did it very affectionately though... 'Daddy, you're my daddy',' the president said playfully. The impression even managed to tease a laugh out of the normally stoic Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who could not contain a giggle as he stood behind Trump on the stage. The White House's press office also seized upon the opportunity to release what can only be described as a hype video, showing Trump's return to Washington set to the tune of Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) by pop star Usher. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) giggles behind President Donald Trump (left) as he answered questions about being called 'daddy' by Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte during the Wednesday conference in the Hague, Netherlands Netanyahu Since Trump began his second term in the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unofficially headed the Donald Trump fan club. It wasn't always so – Netanyahu has previously infuriated Trump on several occasions, most notably in 2020 when he declared on camera that Joe Biden had won the US presidential race, despite Trump's claims the Democrats stole the election. But as Donald prepared to return to the Oval Office, Bibi was likely reciting lines praising Trump for his excellent decision-making acumen and cherished friendship. He understands Trump's maxims of 'MAGA' and 'America First' like no other, and has expressed such admiration for them that he manages to paint Israel like a plucky partner of the US, rather than a dependent. Now, Netanyahu counts the US President among his closest allies, and is no doubt cognisant that without his backing, his war on Iran and the ongoing military action in Gaza would face much greater resistance. Following the US intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict last week that saw American B-2 stealth aircraft drop the world's largest non-nuclear weapons on Iranian nuclear sites, Netanyahu delivered an address which doubled as a love letter to Trump and America. 'President Trump, your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history... America has been truly unsurpassed. It has done what no other country on earth could do.' 'History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime, the world's most dangerous weapons,' he continued. 'His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace. 'President Trump and I often say peace through strength. First comes strength, then comes peace. And tonight, President Trump and the United States acted with a lot of strength.' 'President Trump, I thank you. The people of Israel thank you. The forces of civilisation thank you. 'God bless America. God bless Israel and may God bless our unshakeable alliance, our unbreakable faith.' Starmer Sir Keir had only been in power himself for four months when Trump stormed to victory in the November 2024 US presidential election and from the outset was keen to display his admiration. In fairness, he had to do some damage control. Labour deputy Angela Rayner had openly called Trump an 'absolute buffoon' who had 'no place in the White House' while Foreign Secretary David Lammy once referred to him as 'a racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser'. Since Trump's inauguration, the Prime Minister has worked to strike a careful balance, positioning the UK as a valued Atlantic intermediary, connecting North America with the EU. He has played on the so-called 'special relationship' between the UK and US, and has seemingly got along well with Trump so far. But Sir Keir has also had his fair share of moments that highlighted his eagerness to please the American leader. On his first visit to the White House to see Trump in February, Starmer was all too happy to present the US President with a letter from King Charles in the middle of a press conference. 'Am I supposed to read it now?' Trump asked flippantly. Sir Keir insisted that Trump read the letter aloud, before grasping the President's shoulder and flashing a giddy grin as he unfurled the envelope and scanned its contents. Then, earlier this month, the Prime Minister was sent scrambling at Trump's feet when the 79-year-old dropped the contents of a US-UK trade deal the pair had just inked at the G7 summit all over the floor. As Trump opened a black binder with the signed agreement inside, several papers spilled out. 'Oops, sorry about that,' Trump quipped, looking down to see the Prime Minister plucking the papers from between his legs. Moments later, Trump went on to announce he had struck the deal with the European Union, rather than the UK. Sir Keir had neither the appetite nor the heart to correct him. Macron The state of relations between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron serves as a cautionary tale to other leaders who may be tired of sucking up to the US President and want to air their grievances in public. In their first term, the pair often appeared firm friends. Macron boasted of himself as a 'Trump whisperer' and recently said he had 'the best relations in the world' with the US President prior to 2020. Their 29-second handshake-cum-handholding session during Trump's visit to Paris for Bastille Day in 2017 is the stuff of legend, and both leaders garnered a reputation for being notably tactile with one another. Early in Trump's second term, the bromance appeared alive and well. Macron performed admirably during his visit to the White House in February, laughing at Trump's wisecracks while managing to politely and charmingly correct his American counterpart's mistakes. But relations have rapidly soured since then – a decline seemingly sparked by the outspoken Macron's willingness to challenge Trump in public and criticise his policies on the world stage. After Trump abruptly departed this month's G7 summit early, Macron tried to spin the exit as strategic, telling reporters the US might play a key role in brokering peace between Israel and Iran. But Trump, already aboard Air Force One, launched a furious riposte online. 'Wrong! He is 'publicity seeking' and always gets it wrong,' the President fumed on Truth Social. 'He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington… Much bigger than that. Stay tuned!' Tensions only mounted further when Macron offered a rebuke of Trump's hawkish stance on Iran. As Trump called for Tehran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,' Macron warned that pushing for regime change would only sow 'chaos' across the Middle East. 'We do not want to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons or ballistic capabilities,' Macron said. 'But the greatest mistake today would be to pursue regime change in Iran through military means – that would lead to chaos.' 'Does anyone think what was done in Iraq in 2003 was a good idea? Or in Libya last decade? No.' When asked later about the spat, Trump couldn't resist a jab.
Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Work from home to blame for ONS's unreliable data
Staff working from home at Britain's official statistics agency is damaging the quality of UK economic data, a scathing independent review has found. Sir Robert Devereux, a former top civil servant who was appointed to assess the state of the crisis-stricken Office for National Statistics (ONS), found the arrangements were jeopardising the ability of ONS to fulfil its core function of collecting and analysing statistics. On Thursday, his report found the staff at the agency were still resisting returning to the office full time. ONS staff can currently spend five days a week working at home. Unions representing some ONS staff have threatened to strike over demands that workers attend the office on at least two days per week. The unions have said there has been no tangible impact on the ONS's outputs because of the work arrangements. But Sir Robert said in his review: 'The return to working in the office, post pandemic, was not handled well and one of the unions is still operating 'action short of a strike'. 'This needs to be resolved quickly: some recognition of the past poor handling is necessary; but so too is a wider recognition of the benefits of teams spending time together in one place.' While the union work from home dispute has continued, vital information on the state of the jobs market and on inflation in the economy has become less reliable, making it harder for the Bank of England to set interest rates. Figures on unemployment and on the number of people who are economically inactive are considered unreliable, as the ONS struggles to convince households to respond to its surveys. Earlier this month officials revealed a mistake in April's consumer price inflation data, caused by an error in information submitted by the Department for Transport, while the producer price index, which covers inflation faced by businesses, has not been published since February. Under Andrew Bailey, the Bank's Governor, policymakers have resorted to using more of their own surveys and private sector data to assess the state of the economy. Sir Robert said that senior bosses at the ONS poured resources into new methods of analysing the economy - without budgeting sufficiently for other tasks. 'Unfortunately, this has had the (unintended) effect of de-prioritising the less exciting, but nonetheless crucial, task of delivering core economic statistics of sufficient quality to guide decision making,' he said. He criticised the 'inadequacies in the way ONS has made decisions, planned and budgeted, and managed risks' and 'a reluctance, at senior levels, to hear and act on difficult news'. The former civil servant also said the agency is a relatively unattractive place for highly qualified statisticians to work. 'The organisation's office locations, mostly outside major cities, and with analyst pay not comparable with other departments, makes it difficult to recruit and retain the necessary skilled staff,' he said. When the ONS moved a large share of its staff from London to Newport after a review in 2004, as many as 90pc of workers left the organisation instead of relocating to Wales. Grant Fitzner, the ONS's acting director general for economic statistics, promised 'a shift in the culture of our organisation, to embrace critical views, encourage greater curiosity, heed early warning signals and be open about the challenges we face'. This will include refocusing resources on economic statistics, he said, including offering more digital surveys and 'putting more resources into knocking on doors to further boost responses'.
