Support The Moscow Times!

Russia, Ukraine Swap 100 POWs Each

Ukrainian prisoners of war exchanged on Thursday night. Ukraine Presidential Press Service / AFP

Ukraine and Russia on Thursday said they swapped 100 prisoners of war each, the latest exchange between the warring sides since Moscow accused Kyiv of downing a plane carrying captured Ukrainian soldiers.

Moscow and Kyiv have both vowed to keep exchanging prisoners as Russia's war against Ukraine drags quickly approaches its second anniversary.

"Another 100 Ukrainians are at home in Ukraine," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.

"All of them are ours, all of them are back on their native land," he added.

Zelensky posted photographs of men wrapped in Ukrainian flags.

Zelensky said most of the men had defended the port city of Mariupol, which Russia captured after a brutal seige in early 2022.

"We are working on each and every one of them and will not stop until we bring them back!" Zelensky said.

The swap, announced earlier by Russia, comes after Zelensky sacked his top general Valery Zaluzhny, replacing him with Oleksandr Syrsky.

"On February 8, as a result of negotiations, 100 Russian servicemen who were in mortal danger in captivity were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

It said its men would be brought to Moscow for rehabilitation.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more