Russia and Ukraine exchanged 230 prisoners of war on Saturday, weeks after Ukraine cross-border attack to the Kursk region of Russia.
The Russians who were released on Saturday were captured in Kursk, Russian state news agencies reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.
The ministry reported that 115 soldiers had returned “from areas under the control of the Kiev regime”, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “another 115 of our defenders returned home today”.
It is the first such exchange since Ukraine began its invasion of Russia on August 6.
Kiev has said one of the goals of the Kursk offensive is to capture Russian soldiers and exchange them for Ukrainian prisoners of war. Ukraine claims to control more than 1,000 square kilometers of the Kursk region.
The United Arab Emirates reportedly brokered the swap.
Separately, Ukraine said Saturday it had struck a Russian ammunition depot in the southern Russian region of Voronezh. Kiev also said five people had been killed in a Russian attack on the eastern town of Kostyantynivka.
President Zelensky said the returned Ukrainian soldiers were members of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy and the Border Guard.
“We remember each and every one of us. We are searching and doing everything we can to bring everyone back,” he said.
“This brings us closer to the liberation of our army, our citizens from Russian captivity. Thank you to our team and partners, the UAE for our people returning home,” he said.
Mr Zelensky said that in addition to capturing Russian soldiers, the Kursk operation had other goals that he could not disclose.
The Ukrainian president said the operation was a preemptive strike to deter Russian attacks on Sumy, a city in Ukraine.
He added that Ukraine will do everything it can to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war through diplomacy.
