BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The first phase of a large-scale prisoner exchange agreement between Ukraine and Russia, based on the “1000 for 1000” format, has been successfully carried out,Trend reports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that 390 Ukrainian prisoners have been released during this initial stage. “We expect the exchange to continue on Saturday and Sunday,” the President stated.
Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to all those involved in the efforts to bring Ukrainian prisoners home, stressing the significance of every individual: “The name and details of each person are carefully verified. We will continue our diplomatic efforts to make such steps possible.”
Among the released individuals are three women and 387 men. All will undergo medical examinations, physical and psychological rehabilitation, receive financial compensation for the time spent in captivity, and will be reintegrated into society.
The agreement follows a landmark meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations held in Istanbul on May 16 — the first such meeting in three years — where the mutual exchange deal in the “1000 for 1000” format was reached.