Russia and Ukraine carried out a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war on Wednesday, just a week after Moscow accused Kyiv of shooting down a plane carrying captured Ukrainian soldiers en route to an exchange.
The crash of a Russian military cargo plane near the border with Ukraine has sowed uncertainty over future trade deals. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Ukraine used a US Patriot system to shoot down the plane, a claim denied by Kyiv. Despite tensions, both sides simultaneously announced the release of more than 400 people captured during the two-year war.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported the release of 195 soldiers, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that 207 people, including soldiers and civilians, would return to Ukraine. According to Moscow, the exchange was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, which regularly served as an intermediary in such agreements.
