According to both sides, 106 Russian prisoners of war were released in exchange for 100 Ukrainians. Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak announced via Telegram messaging app that among the released Ukrainians were defenders of Mariupol city and its Azovstal steel plant, who had been captured in the initial months of the conflict.
"We are working tirelessly to get back everyone, as people are the main value of Ukraine," Yermak said on twitter, adding that the swap deal included Ukrainian "soldiers, sailors, border guards, and national guardsmen."
Russian defence ministry stated that their prisoners were released after a series of negotiations, the Reuters news agency reported.
Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, Russia and Ukraine have participated in occasional prisoner swaps, which represent a rare instance of direct communication between adversaries.
According to media reports, Russia and Ukraine exchanged over 2,000 prisoners since the start of the war on Feb. 24 last year, until the end of February 2023.