Ukraine welcomes home 303 defenders in latest POW swap
The third phase of the prisoner of war exchange between Ukraine and Russia has concluded, with 303 Ukrainian defenders returning home on Sunday, announced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"303 Ukrainian defenders are home. The third part of the 1000-for-1000 exchange deal, agreed upon in Türkiye, has been completed," he wrote on social media.
The president stated that soldiers from the Armed Forces, National Guard, Border Guard, and State Special Transport Service returned from Russia to Ukraine.
" I thank the team that worked around the clock to successfully carry out this exchange. We will definitely bring every single one of our people back from Russian captivity," emphasized Zelensky.
The result of talks in Istanbul
The exchange conducted on Sunday was the 65th since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine and the sixth exchange this year, according to the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War in Kyiv.
The first stage of the prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine took place on May 23. At that time, 390 individuals—both military personnel and civilians—were released from each side. The second stage took place on May 24, with Ukraine and Russia exchanging 307 prisoners each.
An agreement on the comprehensive prisoner exchange was reached during a meeting of Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul on May 16.
