Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 84 prisoners each in the latest round of swaps that have seen hundreds released this year. The exchange took place just a day before Russian President Vladimir Putin meets US President Donald Trump in Alaska.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the release included both military personnel and civilians, some of whom had been detained since 2014. Among them were defenders of Mariupol, the port city captured by Russian forces in 2022 after a prolonged siege. Families of the freed prisoners described years of waiting and repeated visits to previous exchanges in the hope of reunion.
Russia’s defence ministry said the swap was mediated by the United Arab Emirates and that the returned Russian personnel were receiving medical and psychological care.
