Ukraine and Russia have completed another round of prisoner swaps after both sides received their prisoners of war taken captive since 2022.
Ukraine’s military headquarters, coordinating with the Russian side, said the majority of the soldiers had been in Russian prisons for more than three years. The exchange also included injured soldiers and those with health issues.
The soldiers included the young and veterans, it said, adding that more exchanges are likely to take place shortly in line with limited positive developments noted between Moscow and Kyiv after Istanbul peace talks.
Apart from agreeing to swap prisoners, there has been no positive development reported from either side.
There are concerns that the released soldiers may be redrafted to combat zones, especially after the latest Russian offensive in the North-Eastern Sumy region of Ukraine.
Though Ukrainian soldiers have held their ground in the Sumy region against Russian forces, the battlefield may change quickly as Russia prepares another possible attack in the region with more reinforcements.
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While Ukrainian armed forces have said that they repelled a series of Russian attacks, they may not continue to hold the ground, as Ukraine is facing a shortage of military supplies, including men and machinery.
Ukraine's top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other areas of the frontline.
Russian President Putin ordered the Sumy offensive on the backdrop of the Ukrainian drone attacks on its strategic air base in Siberia, which has fuelled anger and animosity in the Russian forces against Kyiv.
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