<img src="https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&amp;c2=36750692&amp;cv=3.6.0&amp;cj=1"> 'We are bringing our people home': Ukraine's largest prisoner swap brings 390 troops back as families rush to reunion point – We Got This Covered
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‘We are bringing our people home’: Ukraine’s largest prisoner swap brings 390 troops back as families rush to reunion point

At least something good is coming out of the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Families gathered along roadsides in northern Russia and Ukraine since the war began.

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The prisoner swap, which is the only concrete outcome from direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul last week, will see both sides release 1,000 prisoners each. The process moved rapidly after the agreement, with families rushing to designated meeting points without knowing if their loved ones would be among those freed.

According to Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 390 people would be returned initially, with more expected throughout the weekend. “We are bringing our people home,” he wrote. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the delivery of 390 prisoners to Ukraine, comprising 270 soldiers and 120 civilians.

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Former President Russia’s decision to send only a low-level delegation hindered significant progress. Despite this setback, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha considered the talks worthwhile solely for enabling family reunions.

Among those waiting at the reunion point was Mykola Hrytsak, a 39-year-old National Guardsman previously captured at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and later released. Along with two other former POWs, he waited, hoping to see some of their 65 friends still held in Russia.

The scene was emotional for many families, including Lina Marchenko, 46, who came searching for information about her husband, who disappeared in the Zaporizhzhia region in August. Similarly, Anna Pupenko, 29, and her husband Serhii arrived hoping to find news of friends who went missing during Ukraine’s operation in Russia’s Kursk region.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha praised the exchange as a significant achievement, stating that the otherwise unsuccessful talks were worthwhile solely for the family reunions they enabled. While Russia and Ukraine have conducted numerous prisoner swaps throughout the war, this marks the largest exchange to date.


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Sadik Hossain
Freelance Writer
Sadik Hossain is a professional writer with over 7 years of experience in numerous fields. He has been following political developments for a very long time. To convert his deep interest in politics into words, he has ed We Got This Covered recently as a political news writer and wrote quite a lot of journal articles within a very short time. His keen enthusiasm in politics results in delivering everything from heated debate coverage to real-time election updates and many more.