The exchange is part of deal struck by Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul earlier this month
Russia and Ukraine have carried out another prisoner-of-war swap under terms agreed at talks in Istanbul earlier this month, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has announced.
In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said that a group of Russian service members held in Ukrainian custody was returned to Belarus, where they are receiving psychological and medical care before proceeding to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation.
The Defense Ministry did not say how many Russian servicemen returned, but released footage of more than a dozen soldiers chanting “Russia” while carrying a national tricolor flag.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has confirmed the exchange, also without providing specifics on the number of repatriated service members. He noted that many were members of the Ukrainian military, National Guard, and border service, most of whom ended up in captivity back in 2022 during fighting in Kiev and Chernigov Regions.
Ukrainian officials also said that some of the POWs were either gravely ill or injured.
The swap is part of a broader agreement reached at the Istanbul talks on June 2. The sides had agreed on an exchange involving, in total, approximately 1,200 prisoners each and the transfer of thousands of remains. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow handed over to Kiev around 6,000 bodies and received the remains of 57 of its soldiers.
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