Russia and Ukraine carried out the second day of a major prisoner swap on Saturday, with each side releasing 307 service personnel in what is set to be the largest exchange of captives since the war began three years ago.
The exchange, announced by Russia’s Defence Ministry and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy via Telegram, is part of a three-day process expected to see 1,000 prisoners freed from each side.
“Tomorrow we expect more,” President Zelenskiy wrote. “Our goal is to return each and every one of us from Russian captivity.”
Footage from Reuters Television showed released Ukrainian soldiers arriving at a meeting point inside Ukraine, many wrapped in the blue and yellow national flag, greeted by family members chanting “Welcome!” Among them was Serviceman Dmytro Havrylenko, who embraced his son and mother tightly. “I am shocked to be honest,” he said. “These were 17 difficult months, very difficult. But everything is fine.”
Families of missing servicemen also gathered, holding up photographs and seeking any information on their loved ones. A woman named Yana, whose husband has been missing since Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last year, expressed hope that the exchange might bring news. “Maybe the boys will recognise his photo and share some information,” she said. “We’re here for the second day. Maybe today.”
Video footage released by President Zelenskiy’s office captured emotional scenes as some released soldiers broke down in tears, consoled by uniformed personnel. Cellphones were handed to the returnees to contact relatives. “I can’t believe I’m home,” one soldier said.
On the Russian side, a short video from the Defence Ministry showed servicemen disembarking from buses and posing with Russian flags alongside Soviet and Imperial Russian flags.
The prisoner swap follows an initial release on Friday when Russia and Ukraine exchanged 390 prisoners each, including 120 civilians, with more to follow.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Friday that Moscow is prepared to present Kyiv with a draft peace agreement once the exchange concludes.
Saturday’s exchange came just hours after a heavy overnight bombardment of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv by Russian forces, involving long-range drones and ballistic missiles, which injured 15 people.
The swap agreement was reached during brief talks in Istanbul on May 16, involving Russian and Ukrainian delegations, encouraged by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has suggested the exchange might mark a new phase in peace negotiations.
