Russia and Ukraine Begin Exchange of 1,000 Prisoners of War Over Two Days

Moscow. The agreement to release and exchange soldiers taken prisoner during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has come into effect. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, both sides plan to exchange 500 soldiers each over a two-day period on Thursday and Friday. 

As part of the first phase of this process, both countries have already released 200 soldiers each on Thursday. The soldiers returned to the Russian side are currently being kept in neighboring Belarus, where they are being provided with necessary psychological counseling and medical treatment services.

This series of prisoner releases will continue on Friday, with the Russian Foreign Ministry announcing that a program is set for an additional 300 soldiers from each side to be handed over to the other. Thus, the release of a total of one thousand soldiers within two days has been ensured. This large-scale exchange is being viewed as a significant achievement in the area of humanitarian aid during the recent period of the war.

This humanitarian action is the result of trilateral talks held in Geneva, Switzerland. According to Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to the Russian President, this agreement was reached during the third round of diplomatic dialogue held in Geneva between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States on February 17 and 18. During the in-depth discussions that lasted two days, complex political issues related to the war, as well as humanitarian matters, were prioritized, bringing joy to hundreds of families now.