Russia and Ukraine are conducting the largest prisoner exchange operation since the beginning of the war.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine exchanged 270 prisoners of war and 120 civilians in the largest swap since the war began over three years ago. This is the first step in a larger exchange involving a thousand people from each side, described by Russia as initiated by them and reached through direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul on May 16. The Defense Ministry stated that the exchange will continue in the coming days, with Ukraine handing over civilians held by the Ukrainian army in the Russian-controlled area of Kursk during their incursion there. It was mentioned that the released Russian military personnel and civilians are currently in Belarus receiving psychological and medical support before being transferred to Russia for further care. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Friday that Ukraine has regained 390 prisoners from Russia in the first stage of the exchange, expecting the process to continue on Saturday and Sunday. Zelensky wrote on Telegram, "It is very important to recover all prisoners. We verify every family name and individual data." He added, "We will continue our diplomatic efforts to implement these steps."