The President of Ukraine has approved the start of the second major exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. According to him, the exchange will take place in several stages and will continue in the coming days, the BBC writes.
"Among those returnees now, there are wounded and severe wounded, as well as those under 25 years old. The process is quite complicated, there are very sensitive details, negotiations continue to actually every day. We are doing the best to return to everyone, "said Volodimir Zelensky.
The Russian Defense Ministry, in turn, said that according to the agreements reached in Istanbul, the first group of Russian servicemen under the age of 25 was returned to Russia. Instead, the number of the number of Ukrainian armed forces was passed on. Russian servicemen are in Belarus.
The parties did not specify the number of exchanges in the first day.
An agreement on major exchange of prisoners of war was reached on June 2 during the second round of Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, and became the main result of the meeting.
The delegations agreed to exchange all severe ill prisoners of war, as well as captives under the age of 25.
