Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 146 prisoners of war each, after mediation by the United Arab Emirates. The exchange is the latest in a series of prisoner swaps that have seen hundreds of POWs released this year.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said the freed Russians were in Belarus receiving psychological and medical care.
The ministry said on Telegram on Sunday that “146 Russian servicemen were returned from the territory controlled” by Kyiv.
“In exchange, 146 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were transferred” to Ukraine. Russia also said “eight citizens of the Russian Federation – residents of the Kursk region, illegally detained” by Kyiv, were also returned as part of the exchange.
The prisoner exchange comes amid diplomatic efforts to solve the conflict. US President Donald Trump held talks in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin a week ago, but Trump has been unable thus far to coax Putin into a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump said on Friday that in two weeks he should know whether progress is possible in his bid to end the Russia-Ukraine war as he again raised the prospect of imposing sanctions on Moscow.
The developments came as Ukraine marked its Independence Day on Sunday, commemorating its 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
Zelenskyy said Washington has revoked permission for strikes in Russia with United States-manufactured weapons, confirming an earlier report in US media.
He added that Kyiv has lately been using its own weapons to hit its enemy and does not consult on this with Washington.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov slammed Zelenskyy on Sunday for “obstinately insisting, setting conditions, demanding an immediate meeting at all costs” with Putin.
Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out an overnight drone attack on a nuclear plant that caused a fire and damaged an auxiliary transformer.
The attack forced a 50% reduction in the operating capacity at reactor number three at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, 60km from the Russia-Ukraine border.
The situation remains complex, with diplomatic efforts ongoing to find a solution to the conflict.
The international community watches closely, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. As the situation continues to unfold, the humanitarian cost of the war remains a pressing concern, with many civilians caught in the crossfire.