Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said that 307 Ukrainian defenders have returned home as part of a negotiated exchange in Turkey.
This brings the total number of returnees to 697 over two days, with the process expected to continue on Sunday.
The exchange involves members of Ukraine's Armed Forces, State Border Guard Service, and National Guard. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to all involved in the exchange process and reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to bringing every captive citizen home.
Sharing a post on X, Zelenskyy said, "Another 307 Ukrainian defenders are home. Today is the second day of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange that we managed to negotiate in Turkiye. In just these two days, 697 people have been brought home. We expect the process to continue tomorrow. Among those who returned today are warriors from our Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard of Ukraine."
The post added, "I thank everyone involved in the exchange process, those who have been working around the clock. Our goal is to bring every single person back from Russian captivity. We continue cooperating with our partners to make this possible."
According to Al Jazeera, Russia's Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that it released 307 Ukrainian POWs in exchange for as many Russian servicemen, who are being cared for in Belarus before their return to Russia. The two sides released 270 servicemen and 120 civilians each on the Ukrainian border with Belarus on Friday, as part of the biggest prisoner exchange since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both sides have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners.
The development comes following the Russian drone and missile attack in Kyiv on Friday, targeting civilians and causing widespread damage and casualties.
Sharing a post on X on Saturday, Zelenskyy said, "Fragments of Russian missiles and drones are being cleared in Kyiv. Rescue and emergency operations are ongoing at the sites of strikes and debris impacts -- wherever they are needed. There were many fires and explosions in the city overnight. Once again, residential buildings, cars, businesses have been damaged. Sadly, there are injuries."
The post added, "It was a difficult night for all of Ukraine -- 250 strike drones, the absolute majority of them Iranian "Shaheds," and 14 ballistic missiles. The Odesa, Vinnytsia, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kyiv, Dnipro regions suffered damages. All strikes targeted civilians. There are fatalities. My condolences to the families and loved ones." Zelenskyy further emphasised that Ukraine has repeatedly proposed ceasefires and called for sanctions steps from the United States, Europe, and its allies.
"With each such attack, the world becomes more certain that the cause of prolonging the war lies in Moscow. Ukraine has proposed a ceasefire many times -- both a full one and one in the skies. It all has been ignored. It is clear that far stronger pressure must be imposed on Russia to get results and launch real diplomacy. We are awaiting sanctions steps from the United States, Europe, and all our partners. Only additional sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy will force Moscow to cease fire. I thank everyone who helps and supports us," Zelenskyy said.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
