The Japan Times - Russia, Ukraine exchange 103 captured soldiers each

Prisoner exchanges and repatriations of soldiers' remains have been among the few areas of cooperation between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022.

"Today, 103 Ukrainian warriors are returning home from Russian captivity," President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that those freed included defenders of Mariupol, the port city devastated during a months-long siege in 2022, as well as troops captured across seven frontline regions.

"We remember every man and woman who still remains in captivity. We are doing everything possible to bring all our people home," he added.

Earlier, the Russian defence ministry had announced the exchange, stating that "103 Russian servicemen were returned... in exchange, 103 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over."

Talks on ending the conflict remain effectively frozen, while the civilian death toll in 2026 has risen to the highest levels since the war's first months, according to the United Nations.

The freed Russian soldiers are in Belarus and will be flown to Russia for rehabilitation after receiving psychological and medical care, the Russian defence ministry said.

The Gulf state has brokered dozens of prisoner swaps between Moscow and Kyiv since the start of the war.

K.Hashimoto--JT