Ukraine and Russia swap more prisoners under Istanbul deal

Ukraine and Russia swapped further prisoners-of-war on Thursday as part of an agreement reached in Istanbul earlier this month.

"Today, warriors of the army, the national guard and the border forces are returning," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on Telegram. Most of them had been in Russian captivity since 2022, the year the full-scale invasion began, he added.

Zelensky did not say how many Ukrainians were being returned.

The Defence Ministry in Moscow simultaneously confirmed the exchange, also without stating a number. It said the swap had been done on the Belarus-Ukrainian border.

The two sides agreed to swap prisoners under the age of 25, along with the seriously ill and wounded, in Istanbul at the beginning of June. Seven exchanges have since taken place.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has in the meantime mentioned more than 900 prisoners exchanged.

Ukraine has been warding off the Russian invasion since February 2022.