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.
