Biggest prisoner swap of the war Ukraine-Russia war takes place

Russia and Ukraine person completed nan first shape of what is expected to beryllium nan biggest captive speech since nan start of nan war, pinch almost 800 group released connected Friday (Saturday greeting AEST).

The switch started connected Friday and will proceed connected Saturday and Sunday, pinch Kyiv and Moscow expected to switch 2000 group – 1000 from each side.

"We are bringing our group home," Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said connected X, adding that 390 group arrived backmost to Ukraine connected Friday. He said nan group included 270 subject and 120 civilians.

The Ukrainian Coordination Centre for Treatment of Prisoners of War said 3 women and 387 men were among those released connected Friday.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said successful a connection that "270 Russian servicemen and 120 civilians" were returned to Russia.

It said nan civilians were captured by Ukrainian troops successful Kursk, nan Russian region to which Ukraine launched a astonishment incursion past summer. Russia has since reclaimed astir of nan territory.

However, Zelenskyy said later that nan Russian civilians returned by Ukraine were "Russian saboteurs and collaborators" who were arrested by Ukrainian rule enforcement officers.

As successful erstwhile exchanges, nan released prisoners were brought to a gathering spot successful respective buses aft being released by Russia astatine nan Ukrainian border. Many were fixed Ukrainian flags and bracelets successful Ukrainian colours astatine nan border.

Photos and videos released by nan Ukrainian authorities showed dozens of men wearing subject fatigues, astir of them pinch their heads shaved, posing wrapped successful flags.

Several of nan released men could beryllium seen speaking to their loved ones complete nan phone, immoderate breaking into tears arsenic they perceive nan voices connected nan different side.

One video showed group from villages on nan way of nan convoy coming retired pinch flags, greeting nan returnees.

"I consciousness joyousness because I'm home, that's all. I'm happy for you, for us, that we came… we prayed and asked for this to happen," Vasyl Gulyach, who spent 2 and a half years successful captivity, told CNN.

CNN besides said to Anton Kobylnyk, a 29-year-old who spent complete 3 years successful captivity.

"I americium yours, I received your letter," he told his woman Yulia connected nan phone.

"What you person done, waiting for maine for these 37 months, is simply a very awesome feat connected your portion and an invaluable publication to our relationship," he told her.

At nan aforesaid time, Russian soldiers who person been taken captive by Ukraine were handed complete to Russian authorities astatine nan border.

On nan Ukrainian side, dozens of group waited for hours to shake hands nan returnees astatine a gathering spot successful Chernihiv region successful bluish Ukraine, galore hoping to spot their family members among those being brought back.

Many brought Ukrainian flags and photographs of their loved ones – successful lawsuit immoderate of nan returnees would recognise them and springiness them accusation astir their whereabouts.

As they waited, aerial ambush sirens sounded crossed Ukraine, indicating that a Russian onslaught could beryllium imminent.

Thousands of Ukrainian civilians person been snatched by Russian authorities successful occupied Ukraine and deported into Russia wherever they person been held without complaint aliases trial.

Their position is analyzable – because they person been detained illegally, Ukraine sees them arsenic civilian hostages.

Russia has, successful immoderate cases, claimed that they should beryllium recognised arsenic prisoners of warfare – thing Kyiv has been reluctant to do because it could put civilians surviving successful occupied areas of Ukraine astatine consequence of being arbitrarily detained.

Agreement struck astatine nan Istanbul meeting

As pinch erstwhile exchanges, Ukrainian and Russian authorities were not expected to publically authorities that it was taking spot until aft it had been completed.

However, US President Donald Trump collapsed that normal connected Friday, announcing nan switch connected societal media arsenic it was unfolding.

"A awesome prisoners switch was conscionable completed betwixt Russia and Ukraine," Trump said connected nan Truth Social platform. He said it would "go into effect shortly".

He added successful nan station that "this could lead to thing big???" — apparently referring to different negotiated efforts to extremity nan fighting.

The Istanbul gathering was initially projected by Russian President Vladimir Putin successful consequence to a ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum fixed to Moscow by Kyiv's European friends – which galore saw arsenic a clear effort by nan Kremlin leader to distract and delay.

But while nan return of hundreds of Ukrainian detainees will travel arsenic a immense alleviation to their families and loved ones, it remains somewhat underwhelming arsenic nan only tangible result of nan highly touted meeting.

In his regular address, Zelenskyy said Friday's captive speech was nan "only important result" of past week's gathering successful Turkey, adding that Russia was blocking "everything else."

Prisoner swaps person been happening regularly, astir precocious earlier this month.

Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for nan Treatment of Prisoners of War, a authorities department, said nan speech connected May 7, which saw much than 200 Ukrainian work members return home, was nan 5th switch this twelvemonth and nan 64th since nan opening of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The section said astatine nan clip that astatine 4757 Ukrainian citizens person been released since March 2022.

Ukraine and its friends demanded that Russia work together to an contiguous and unconditional ceasefire successful Istanbul, but that did not happen.

Kyiv besides offered nonstop talks betwixt Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

No caller Russia-Ukraine talks are set

After nan May 16 talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called nan captive switch a "confidence-building measure" and said nan parties had agreed successful rule to meet again.

But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said connected Friday that location has been nary statement yet connected nan venue for nan adjacent information of talks arsenic negotiated maneuvering continued.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said connected Friday nighttime that Moscow would springiness Ukraine a draught archive outlining its conditions for a "sustainable, long-term, comprehensive" bid statement erstwhile nan ongoing captive speech had finished.

European leaders person accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet successful bid efforts while he tries to property his larger army's battlefield inaugural and seizure much Ukrainian land.

The Istanbul gathering revealed some sides intelligibly remained acold isolated connected cardinal conditions for ending nan fighting. One specified information for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is simply a impermanent ceasefire arsenic a first measurement toward a serene settlement.

The Kremlin has pushed backmost connected a impermanent halt to hostilities, and Putin has said immoderate specified truce must travel pinch a frost connected Western arms supplies to Ukraine and an extremity to Ukraine's mobilisation drive.

A elder Ukrainian charismatic said successful Istanbul that Russia had introduced new, "unacceptable demands" to retreat Ukrainian forces from immense swaths of territory.

The official, who was not authorised to make charismatic statements, said to nan AP connected information of anonymity. The connection had not been antecedently discussed, nan charismatic said.

Putin has agelong demanded arsenic a cardinal information for a bid woody that Ukraine retreat its troops from nan 4 regions that Russia annexed successful September 2022 but ne'er afloat controlled.

Zelenskyy has warned that if Russia continues to cull a ceasefire and make "unrealistic demands," it will awesome deliberate efforts to prolong nan warfare — a move that should bring tougher world sanctions.

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