Russia, Ukraine Swap Record POWs While Missile and Drone Strikes Kill 12

Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners on Sunday, concluding what both sides have described as the most significant prisoner swap since the war began in February 2022.

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Kyiv: The exchange took place amid a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine that killed at least 12 people and injured many more.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the return of 303 Ukrainian soldiers on Sunday, saying on X, "303 Ukrainian defenders are home." He said those freed included members of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service.

The Russian Defence Ministry also confirmed the swap, stating that 303 of its troops had returned. The Sunday exchange followed two earlier rounds: 390 individuals were exchanged on Friday and 307 on Saturday.

In total, 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detaindays, as agreed in recent face-to-face talks in Istanbul - the first such meeting in months.

Despite this cooperation, hostilities on the battlefield remain unrelenting. Just hours before the final exchange, Kyiv and several regions came under a massive aerial bombardment that Ukrainian officials described as the largest since the start of the full-scale invasion.