Ukraine has secured the return of 300 servicemen and two civilians from Russia as part of an ongoing prisoner exchange, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday.
According to Zelenskyy, the returned personnel include privates, sergeants, and officers who had been defending Ukraine across multiple front lines, from the eastern regions of Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast to the southern area of Kherson Oblast.
The exchange marked the second day of a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia amid the ongoing war between the two countries.
Images shared by Zelenskyy on social media showed the freed men stepping off buses after their return, embracing one another and sharing cigarettes as they reunited following their release.
The Ukrainian leader did not immediately provide details about how many Russian prisoners were released in return or whether further exchanges were planned.