Ukraine and Russia's Biggest Prisoner Swap Since the War Began

A significant event unfolded in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine started a major prisoner exchange. This was the biggest swap since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It happened over three days. The first day saw 390 people returned to Ukraine. This deal was made during talks in Turkey. The location was kept secret for safety reasons. Many Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were in one place. This made it a target for potential strikes. The exchange included 270 soldiers and 120 civilians. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shared photos of the freed Ukrainians. Many were wrapped in the Ukrainian flag. This swap was the only agreement made in Istanbul last week. It was during the first direct talks about a ceasefire since the early days of the invasion. Even before the exchange was announced, a former U. S. president claimed it was done. More than 8, 000 Ukrainian soldiers are estimated to have been captured by Russia. Over 16, 000 Ukrainian civilians are also in Russian captivity. One of these civilians is Volodymyr Mykolayenko. He was the former mayor of Kherson. His niece, Hanna Korsun-Samchuk, spoke about the difficulty of exchanging civilian prisoners. Families waited for hours in a courtyard. They hoped their loved ones would be among the freed prisoners. They held banners, flags, and posters with images of their loved ones. Katya Kobel from Chernihiv wept as she spoke about her husband, Hryhori. He has been in Russian captivity since December 2023. Natalia Apetyk hoped her 23-year-old son, Yelizar, would finally come home. He has been in captivity since 2022. Milena Moroz held a photograph of her father, Yevhen. He was taken prisoner in February of this year. She wanted to tell him she loved him.