Prisoner Swap Underway Amid Russian drone strikes in Ukraine

The first round of prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia commenced on Monday, CNN reported citing officials from both countries. As the Prisoners of War (POW) returned, Russia launched its largest drone attack comprising over 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian forces said. 

Russia claimed to have taken over more territory in the Ukraine's east-central region of Dnipropetrovsk, reported Reuters. 

The Prisoner swap 

The prisoner swap was agreed in Turkey last week when both nations had met to hold peace talks. It involved detained people under the age of 25, along with those who were seriously wounded, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said via Telegram. Repatriation of the body of 12000 soldiers was also included in the swap, which was one of the only things that both nations could come to terms on. 

Most of the prisoners released were in captivity since the war began in 2022, Reuters reported. 

The move comes after Russia accused Ukraine of stalling the exchange, which Kyiv has denied. Zelenskyy posted on Telegram stating, “Our people are home. Ukrainians are returning home from Russian captivity. The exchange began today and will continue in several stages over the next few days.”

The exact figure of the exchange has not been released but the Russian Defence Ministry has released a statement claiming that the same number of personnel have been exchanged by both sides, reported Reuters. 

While speaking during his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said that “The details of the process are quite sensitive. That is why there is currently less information than usual."

The fighting continues

Zelenskyy asserted that the Ukrainian forces are fighting in Pokrovsk in the east and inside Russia's Kursk region and also in Ukraine's Sumy region, where Russia is trying to establish their presence. 

The pace of Russia’s attacks has also increased with Moscow mounting several large scale attacks on Ukraine this month.