President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a complex prisoner exchange involving both Russian and Ukrainian armed forces, marked by ongoing negotiations and the return of vulnerable soldiers. As the war persists, recent drone attacks underscore the heightened military tensions between the two nations.
Major Prisoner Exchange Commences Between Russia and Ukraine
Major Prisoner Exchange Commences Between Russia and Ukraine
A significant prisoner swap is in progress, with both nations confirming a multi-stage repatriation of soldiers, including the wounded and young recruits.
A substantial prisoner exchange is currently being conducted between Russia and Ukraine, as acknowledged by officials from both Moscow and Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined that the process would take place in "several stages" over the next few days, specifying that the returnees include wounded personnel, severely injured soldiers, and those under the age of 25.
In a post on Telegram, Zelensky noted the intricacies involved in this exchange, stating that intricate negotiations are ongoing nearly every day. Russia, for its part, confirmed that a "similar number" of Ukrainian prisoners of war have been reciprocated, although neither country has disclosed the exact count of those involved in the swap. According to the Russian defense ministry, the initial group of young Russian servicemen has already been returned from territories held by Ukraine, following an agreement made during recent discussions in Turkey.
As observed during previous swaps, Russia indicated that the returned soldiers would receive both psychological and medical support in Belarus. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, families of prisoners of war and the missing stood waiting in the Chernihiv region, close to the Belarus border, to welcome the released soldiers and seek news of those still unaccounted for.
In the backdrop of the exchange, tensions remained high, with both nations accusing each other of hampering the repatriation of deceased soldiers' bodies last week. Just last month, a major exchange took place, wherein both countries participated in the transfer of 390 soldiers and civilians, marking the largest swap since Russia's extensive invasion in 2022.
Simultaneously, military operations continued unabated; overnight, Russia allegedly unleashed a staggering 479 drones targeting Ukrainian territories, including the previously less affected western region of Rivne. Russia termed this assault as a "retaliatory strike" in response to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian air bases earlier in June.
Despite causing infrastructural damage across several Ukrainian areas, no immediate casualties have been reported from the drone strikes. Recently, Russia's aggressive military activities have intensified, consistently exceeding previous attack records each week. In reply, Ukraine claimed to have targeted a Russian airbase located in the Nizhny Novgorod region—some 400 miles away from the Ukrainian border—arguing that this base was utilized for launching hypersonic missiles, resulting in damage to enemy aircraft. Additionally, Ukraine focused its efforts on an electronics factory believed to be involved in manufacturing drone guidance equipment, documenting explosions and a large fire following the strike, leading to a temporary halt in production.
