Moscow: Russia and Ukraine launched on Monday, a new prisoner exchange, agreed earlier this month during direct negotiations in Istanbul between representatives from both countries.
According to Ghana News Agency, the first group of Russian soldiers under the age of 25 has been released from Ukrainian captivity. In return, a similar number of Ukrainian prisoners were handed over by Moscow. Neither side disclosed the exact number of individuals involved.
Moscow said the repatriated Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus, where they are receiving medical assistance. 'Our people are home,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X. He confirmed the return of young soldiers and seriously injured individuals but did not provide specific figures. Zelensky said the exchange process is 'quite complex,' though he expressed hope that the Istanbul agreement would be fully implemented. He said the swaps would 'continue in several stages over the coming days.' Tensions had flared between Moscow and Kiev over the timing of the exchange.
