Ukraine and Russia swapped 175 prisoners of war each on Saturday as a 32-hour ceasefire began on the occasion of Orthodox Easter.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted pictures of the Ukrainian soldiers being welcomed back home.
The group includes troops who have fought on different war fronts, from Mariupol to the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. Seven civilians were included.
“Some of them are wounded. Most have been in captivity since 2022. And finally — they are home,” Zelenskyy said.
Despite the stalemate in diplomatic talks on the end of the war, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to a truce starting on Saturday and lasting until midnight Sunday, when Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, the Kremlin announced on Thursday.
The prisoners’ swap was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian defense ministry said. Zelenskyy has recently visited the UAE and the other Gulf countries hit by Iran’s attacks to establish defense cooperation.
“Ukraine will adhere to the ceasefire and respond strictly in kind. The absence of Russian strikes in the air, on land, and at sea will mean no response from our side,” Zelenskyy said, showing openness to extend the truce even beyond the agreed deadline.
“A ceasefire on Easter could also become the beginning of real movement toward peace — our side has made the corresponding proposal,” he wrote on X, saying the idea of a truce extension has been communicated to the Russians.