Russia and Ukraine exchanged civilians

Russia and Ukraine exchanged civilians

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 270 people ​each in the latest prisoner-of-war swap, following talks ‌with US negotiators earlier this week, Reuters reports.

Nine civilians were among those Kyiv was bringing back, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on ​X. Most of the servicemen have been ​held since 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale ⁠invasion, he added.

"We remember one and all and ​continue searching for everyone," Zelenskiy said.

Among those returned ​were five Ukrainian prisoners whom officials had previously believed were killed in an explosion at a detention facility in Olenivka, ​in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine accused Russia of committing ​a war crime with a strike on Olenivka that killed dozens ‌of ⁠prisoners. Russia said Ukraine had fired at the camp.

Russia's defence ministry said on Telegram that its freed servicemen were in Belarus and would be transported ​to Russia ​once they had ⁠received psychological and medical assistance.

Thousands of prisoners have been exchanged since the ​start of the full-scale war, one of ​the ⁠few areas where Moscow and Kyiv have maintained on-off contacts despite the conflict.

The last large-scale swap took place ⁠on ​August 19, when 103 Ukrainians ​were returned from Russian captivity, and another 10 people were brought ​back later that month.

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