Russia and Ukraine had the second phase of their latest prisoner exchange on Saturday, May 24, just hours after an overnight attack on Kyiv. The Associated Press reported that this set of swaps is the biggest prisoner exchange of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been happening for more than three years now.
It came after direct talks between the countries during the week of May 11 in Istanbul. While the prisoner swap deal was agreed upon, a ceasefire was not.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, another 307 people were brought home from his side. Russia’s defense ministry said it also took back 307 people.
The day before, each country released 390 in what officials said is a “1,000 for 1,000” exchange.
More exchanges are set to occur on Sunday, May 25, Zelenskyy said on X Saturday, May 24.
“In just these two days, 697 people have been brought home,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Among those who returned today are warriors from our Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard of Ukraine. I thank everyone involved in the exchange process, those who have been working around the clock. Our goal is to bring every single person back from Russian captivity. We continue cooperating with our partners to make this possible.”
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, shared a video on social media of released soldiers shouting “Glory to Ukraine – Glory to the Heroes!” and “Ukraine above all,” per the Kyiv Post.
Some of the newly released prisoners were held in captivity since 2022, Yermak said.
Meanwhile, a video released by the Russian defence ministry and reported on by Reuters had Russian service members getting off buses and posing with their country’s flag.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday, May 23, that once the current prisoner swap is done, Russia would be ready to give Ukraine a draft document with conditions for a long-term peace agreement, according to Reuters.
Overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine
Russia launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed drones at Ukraine starting on Friday, May 23 and going into Saturday, May 24. Ukrainian troops shot six missiles and “neutralized” 245 drones, the AP said, in what the Kyiv City Military Administration called a “difficult night for all of us.”
The Military Administration said it marked one of the biggest missile and drone strikes on Kyiv to date.
“Residential buildings in Kyiv are damaged, and at least 15 people have been injured,” Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on X on Saturday, May 24 at around 1 a.m. CT.
Sybiha added that this is “clear evidence” that increased sanctions on Moscow are necessary. Still, in a later post, the Foreign Affairs Minister added that the prisoner exchange was a “confidence-building measure” that is important to “advance the peace process.”
There were 13 civilians killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Region; southern Odesa and Kherson regions and northeast Kharkiv region, the BBC wrote.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces took down 100 drones from Ukraine in six western provinces and in southern Russia as well.
