Ukraine and Russia carried out another prisoner exchange on Saturday, each releasing 175 soldiers, on the eve of a ceasefire announced to mark Orthodox Easter. This operation, confirmed by officials from both countries, constitutes one of the largest exchanges to have taken place in recent months in the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine specified that it had recovered 175 soldiers, as well as seven civilians held in Russia. Kyiv presents this release as a relief for the families involved, while many Ukrainians remain captive.
On the Russian side, authorities also confirmed the return of 175 soldiers, without providing further details about their identities or health. Prisoner exchanges remain one of the few areas of cooperation between the two sides since the beginning of the war.
This operation comes at a particular time, as both countries prepare to observe a temporary ceasefire for Orthodox Easter, celebrated by a large part of the population in both Ukraine and Russia. Such symbolic ceasefires have been announced in the past, often with mixed results on the ground.
Despite these occasional gestures, fighting continues intensely on several fronts, and no major progress toward a lasting resolution of the conflict has been made. The prisoner exchange thus appears as a rare sign of de-escalation in a war that remains deeply entrenched.
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