Russia confirms safe return of up to 120 civilians, 270 military personnel from Ukraine
(MENAFN) Russia has confirmed the safe return of approximately 120 civilians and 270 military personnel from Ukrainian captivity as part of a major prisoner exchange, which took place on Friday evening. This marks the largest swap between the two countries since the outbreak of full-scale hostilities in 2022.
The deal, agreed upon during recent direct talks in Istanbul — the first since Ukraine pulled out of negotiations in 2022 — involves a 1,000-for-1,000 exchange of detainees. In this first phase, each side handed over 270 soldiers and 120 civilians. Russian troops were initially transported to Belarus before being flown to Moscow, according to Russian media.
Some of those released have already returned to the Kursk Region. Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, said many released civilians, including political detainees, were captured during Ukraine’s cross-border raids last year. Some required medical attention upon their return. She noted that about 34 Russian civilians remain imprisoned in Ukraine.
The exchange process is expected to continue in the coming days. Once it concludes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow will likely present a draft peace memorandum to Kiev, building on the framework established during the Istanbul negotiations.
According to estimates from the Telegram channel Mash, the deal could result in nearly all Russian POWs being returned — approximately 1,300 in total. In contrast, Ukraine is expected to regain only about 10% of its military personnel held by Russia.
President Vladimir Putin recently said he had agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump that the next step in resolving the conflict would be to develop a memorandum outlining the principles and timeline for a peace agreement. Trump welcomed the start of the prisoner swap, expressing optimism that it could lead to broader diplomatic progress.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
