- Russia and Ukraine facilitate the release of numerous captives from each side.
Russia and Ukraine have executed another significant prisoner exchange. Through discussions, 115 Russian soldiers captured in the Kursk area were brought back, as per the Russian Defense Ministry's report. In return, an equivalent number of Ukrainians were given over. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the exchange on social media.
Ukraine never forgets its soldiers and is doing everything to free them from captivity, Zelensky penned. He thanked his own troops who captured Russians, enabling the exchange to occur. Zelensky had earlier mentioned that one of the objectives of the Ukrainian operations in the Kursk region was also to capture Russian soldiers to swap them for Ukrainians held captive.
Following over two years of Russia's war against Ukraine, most diplomatic avenues between the two opposing factions are blocked. The exchange of war detainees is one of the few areas where Moscow and Kyiv still collaborate.
The return of the 115 Russian soldiers, who were captured in the Kursk area, was a significant part of the recent prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Despite the ongoing conflicts, the exchange of war detainees, including those from the Kursk region, continues to be a point of collaboration between Moscow and Kyiv.
