Russia and Ukraine exchanged 103 prisoners of war each on Wednesday, in the latest swap between the two sides, as Kyiv said another exchange could take place before the end of August.
The two countries have continued to carry out prisoner exchanges despite ongoing fighting and the lack of agreement on the terms of a possible peace deal. Regular POW swaps have remained one of the few areas of continued engagement since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukrainian servicemen return home
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said those returning included personnel from the Armed Forces, State Border Guard Service and National Guard. Russia’s Interfax news agency, citing the Russian Defence Ministry, also confirmed the exchange.
Among the Ukrainians released was 29-year-old Dmytro, who said he had spent three years in captivity.
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“It’s a wonderful day. I’ve returned home. I haven’t done anything heroic, and I don’t consider myself special,” he told Reuters.
Dmytro also called on relatives of prisoners who remain in captivity to keep hoping for their return.
Another Ukrainian serviceman, 43-year-old Anton Tymofienko, was released after 28 months in captivity. He said prisoners had limited access to information about developments outside detention.
“The most we received were letters from relatives … Otherwise, we had no information,” he said.
Another exchange expected soon
Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko said another prisoner swap was expected before the end of August.
According to Ivashchenko, Kyiv hopes the next exchange will include Ukrainian soldiers who have spent a long time in captivity. This could include personnel involved in the defence of Mariupol, which was besieged by Russian forces during the early phase of the war.
Fresh casualties reported by both sides
The prisoner exchange came as Russia and Ukraine continued to report casualties from overnight drone and missile strikes.
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Zelenskyy said a Russian strike in Ukraine’s Kherson region killed four people and injured five. In Russia, state nuclear corporation Rosatom said a Ukrainian strike hit a public transport stop used by employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. It reported one death and 17 injuries.
The claims about the attacks and casualties could not be independently verified.