Ukraine and Russia swap prisoners, including one freed after 4,000 days
'A new exchange, 84 people,' Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday. Both soldiers and civilians are included, the Ukrainian leader said.
Zelensky thanked the United Arab Emirates for its help in organizing the exchange.
The Ukrainian Staff for Prisoner of War Affairs said this was the 67th exchange since the start of the war. It took place one day before US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are due to meet for a summit in the US state of Alaska.
Kiev said 33 Ukrainian soldiers and 51 civilians were returned. The exchange took place on the border with Belarus.
Some of the prisoners had been detained in the Moscow-controlled separatist regions of eastern Ukraine between 2014 and 2022, including three women from the Donetsk and Luhansk areas. One man was said by Kiev to have been in captivity for more than 4,000 days since 2014. Russia has confirmed the handover. The Russian Defence Ministry reported the return of 84 Russian prisoners of war. (DPA)
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