Russia and Ukraine have confirmed the third and final round of a large-scale prisoner swap carried out between Moscow and Kiev under the terms of an agreement reached in Istanbul earlier this month.
A statement by the Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday that Ukraine returned 303 of its servicemen, in return for 303 Ukrainian soldiers who were returned to Kiev.
“Currently, Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance,” the statement further said, noting they will return to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed the exchange on X, thanking the team that “worked around the clock to successfully carry out this exchange.”
Istanbul peace talks
“We will definitely bring every single one of our people back from Russian captivity,” Zelenskyy added.
Türkiye facilitated the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in three years in Istanbul on May 16, where the two sides agreed to the large-scale exchange of prisoners involving a total of 1,000 people from each side and continued negotiations for a truce.
Two exchanges have taken place since the agreement, as part of which 390 and 307 prisoners were exchanged from each side over the past two days, respectively.
A Türkiye-mediated meeting in Istanbul saw rare progress in Russia-Ukraine peace efforts, with both sides agreeing to a major prisoner swap, as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called it “an important day for world peace.”
