Russian and Ukraine say they have each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges of the war.
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine said Wednesday they had each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges of the war.
According to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, soldiers and fighters who had been severely wounded and falsely accused by Russia were part of the recent releases.
Zelenskyy mentioned that the individuals being brought back included soldiers, sergeants, and officers who had courageously fought for Ukraine’s freedom across various branches such as the Armed Forces, Navy, National Guard, Territorial Defense Forces, and Border Guard Service.
On the other hand, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have freed an additional 22 severely wounded Ukrainian captives as a gesture of goodwill. These individuals were part of a separate negotiation process as highlighted by Zelenskyy.
There was no immediate comment on why the number was one fewer than the 23 wounded POWs that Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised to release Tuesday when he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump about a potential partial ceasefire. Prisoner exchanges have happened throughout the three-year war and the exchange Wednesday had been planned before that call.
The released Ukrainian servicemen had been captured while defending multiple regions, including Mariupol, the Azovstal steel plant, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kursk.
All those who returned will receive immediate medical and psychological assistance, Zelenskyy said in a statement on X. He expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian team working on prisoner swaps and to international partners, particularly the United Arab Emirates, for facilitating the exchange.
“Ukraine remembers each of its heroes, and we will bring everyone home,” he said.
___ Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.
