Russia and Ukraine swap prisoners of war, continuation of agreements made during negotiations in Istanbul this month.
Here's the revised article:
Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners of war (POWs) in a series of releases, both sides announced, with Moscow previously returning the bodies of over a thousand Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv.
In a social media post on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted that this marked the fourth exchange in a week. "We're bringin' 'em home, mate," he wrote, using a colloquial expression.
The Russian Ministry of Defence reported via Telegram that a new group of Russian servicemen was returned from territories under Ukraine's control, in line with agreements reached in Istanbul earlier this month.
Pictures shared by Zelenskyy on Telegram showed men of varying ages, mostly with shaved heads, wearing camouflage and draped in Ukrainian flags. Some had visible injuries, others were seen disembarking from buses and embracing welcoming parties, or aiming for a discreet phone call, occasionally covering their faces or flashing a smile.
The Defence Ministry released footage showing men in uniforms with Russian flags, cheering, chanting, or simply raising their fists in the air. The returned soldiers are now in Belarus, according to the Ministry, receiving medical attention before being transported back to Russia. The exact number of POWs involved in the latest swap wasn't mentioned.
However, Russian state media claimed that Moscow had not yet received the bodies of their fallen troops from Kyiv, echoing a statement made on Friday.
Ukraine had earlier confirmed receiving the remains of their dead soldiers.
Moscow earlier accused Ukraine of indefinitely postponing the prisoner swap of wounded and seriously ill POWs, as well as those under the age of 25, and the return of the remains of thousands of soldiers on either side.
This POW exchange coincided with an intensified Russian offensive along the front line, particularly in the northeastern Sumy region, where they aim to set up a "buffer zone". Yet, Zelenskyy asserted that Russia's advance on Sumy had been stopped, revealing that Kyiv's forces successfully recaptured one village.
The possibility of a temporary ceasefire to end the war seems distant, despite initial optimism echoed by US President Donald Trump. With Trump increasingly appearing disheartened in his quest for a truce, he suggested allowing the two sides to engage in a protracted conflict, likening it to "kids scrappin' in the schoolyard", before eventually intervening.
- The breaking news of the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, which has seen over a thousand Ukrainian soldiers returned, has sparked varying opinions in the realm of politics and general news, with some viewing it as a positive step towards peace, while others question its implications for war-and-conflicts.
- In the midst of this ongoing conflict and the recent prisoner exchange, President Zelenskyy's use of a colloquial expression, "We're bringin' 'em home, mate", has become a subject of interesting discussion among political analysts, reflecting a general-news trend of examining leaders' public statements to gauge their opinions and strategies.
- As the prisoner exchange continues and the war between Ukraine and Russia persists, the question of a temporary ceasefire remains a contentious topic in politics, with some political leaders, such as US President Donald Trump, advocating for a prolonged conflict compared to a swift resolution, a view that has drawn critical opinions from various quarters.
