Russia and Ukraine exchanged 230 prisoners of battle on Saturday, weeks after Ukraine launched a cross-border assault into the Kursk area of Russia.
The Russians launched on Saturday have been captured in Kursk, Russian state information companies reported, citing the nation’s defence ministry.
The ministry mentioned 115 troopers have been returned “from territories managed by the Kiev regime,” whereas Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned “one other 115 of our defenders have returned dwelling in the present day”.
It’s the first such swap since Ukraine first started its incursion into Russia on 6 August.
Kyiv has mentioned one of many objectives of the Kursk offensive is to seize Russian troopers to commerce for Ukrainian prisoners of battle. Ukraine claims to manage over 1,000 sqkm of the Kursk area.
The United Arab Emirates reportedly mediated the swap.
Individually, on Saturday Ukraine mentioned it had carried out an assault on a Russian ammunition depot within the southern Russian area of Voronezh. Kyiv additionally reported that 5 folks had been killed in a Russian strike on the japanese city of Kostyantynivka.
President Zelensky mentioned the returned Ukrainian troopers have been members of the Nationwide Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the Border Guard.
“We keep in mind every one. We’re trying to find and making each effort to carry everybody again,” he mentioned.
“This brings nearer the discharge of our army, our civilians from Russian captivity. Due to our staff and companions, the UAE for our folks returning dwelling,” he mentioned.
Mr Zelensky mentioned that along with capturing Russian troopers, the Kursk operation had different objectives he couldn’t disclose.
The Ukrainian president mentioned the operation was a preventative strike to discourage Russian assaults in the direction of Sumy, a metropolis in Ukraine.
He added Ukraine would do the whole lot to drive Russian President Vladimir Putin to finish the battle by means of diplomacy.