Moscow:Russia and Ukraine have conducted a significant prisoner exchange, with both countries swapping 270 servicemen each. This development marks the latest exchange between the two nations amidst ongoing tensions.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the exchange on Friday, stating that the returned Russian servicemen are currently situated in Belarus. Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova is reportedly providing assistance to them.

The Russian Defense Ministry further detailed that these servicemen will return to Russia following necessary psychological and medical evaluations. They are scheduled to be transported to medical facilities operated by the Defense Ministry for further treatment and rehabilitation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed this swap, noting its significance as the first such exchange since August. He described it as a "very important result" and shared on the social media platform X that most of the individuals returned to Ukraine had been in captivity since 2022. He expressed gratitude towards all who contributed to facilitating these exchanges and emphasized the ongoing efforts to locate and recover all captives.

Furthermore, Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets indicated that an agreement was in place for the separate return of civilians. Through coordination with his Russian counterpart, Lubinets stated that seven Ukrainians have returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory, while seven individuals have traveled to Russia as part of a family reunification initiative, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross.