Russia and Ukraine say a major prisoner swap has begun
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the first phase of the exchange was bringing home 390 Ukrainians, with further releases expected over the weekend.
'It's very important to bring everyone home,' he wrote on Telegram, thanking all who worked to secure their return and pledging to continue diplomatic efforts to make more exchanges possible.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said each side had released 270 military personnel and 120 civilian detainees. The exchange is 'planned to continue in coming days,' it said.
Ukraine's 65th Mechanised Brigade (Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
In Turkey last week, Ukraine and Russia agreed to the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side in their first direct peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion.
That meeting lasted only two hours and brought no breakthrough in efforts to stop the fighting.
The swap was taking place at the border with Belarus in northern Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.
The released Russians were taken to Belarus for medical treatment, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
The exchange, which also would be the biggest swap of Ukrainian civilians at one time, did not appear to herald any halt in fighting.
Russia launched two ballistic missiles at infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, killing one worker and injuring eight others – four critically, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper.
It was the first recorded attack on the port since March 11.
Fighting continues along the 620-mile front line, where tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed, and neither country has relented in its deep strikes.
News of the prisoner release emerged when US president Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had carried out a large exchange.
Russian servicemen (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP)
'A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine,' Mr Trump said on the Truth Social platform. He said it would 'go into effect shortly.'
He added in the post that 'this could lead to something big???' — apparently referring to other diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.
After the May 16 talks, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan called the prisoner swap a 'confidence-building measure' and said the parties had agreed in principle to meet again.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that there has been no agreement yet on the venue for the next round of talks as diplomatic manoeuvering continued.
European leaders have accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts while he tries to press his larger army's battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land.
The Istanbul meeting revealed both sides clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement.
The Kremlin has pushed back on a temporary halt to hostilities, and Mr Putin has said any such truce must come with a freeze on Western arms supplies to Ukraine and an end to Ukraine's mobilisation drive.
A senior Ukrainian official said in Istanbul that Russia had introduced new, 'unacceptable demands' to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory.
The official, who was not authorised to make official statements, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The proposal had not been previously discussed, the official said.
Mr Putin has long demanded as a key condition for a peace deal that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the four regions that Russia annexed in September 2022 but never fully controlled.
Mr Zelensky has warned that if Russia continues to reject a ceasefire and make 'unrealistic demands,' it will signal deliberate efforts to prolong the war — a move that should bring tougher international sanctions.
Russia's Defence Ministry said it had shot down 788 Ukrainian drones away from the battlefield between May 20-23.
Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 175 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as a ballistic missile since late Thursday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Massive Russian assault among biggest attacks on Ukraine since start of war
Massive Russian assault among biggest attacks on Ukraine since start of war Overnight on Sunday, Russia staged a massive aerial assault deep inside Ukraine, marking one of the biggest attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war. NBC News' Raf Sanchez has the 29, 2025
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
YouTuber seduction coach linked to Putin's oligarch pal probed after ‘urging fans to grope women and ask for sex'
Kirillov was known for his £1,000 sex seminars where he taught participants how to make their partners orgasm KREMLIN CREEP YouTuber seduction coach linked to Putin's oligarch pal probed after 'urging fans to grope women and ask for sex' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RUSSIAN YouTube seduction coach with links to one of Putin's close oligarchs is facing investigation - after he urged viewers to "grope women and ask for sex". Alexander Kirillov is being investigated on suspicion of inducement to rape after he instructed men to grab women in the street by the buttocks and demand sex. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Alexander Kirillov, a self-styled sex guru, is being investigated Credit: YouTube/Алекс Лесли 8 Kirillov was detained in 2018 alongside Anastasia Vashukevich in Thailand after they hosted illegal "sex training" classes 8 Vashukevich claims Russian oligarch and Putin pal Oleg Deripaska (L) was once part on a conspiracy to help Trump win the 2016 election Credit: Getty Self-proclaimed "seduction guru" Kirillov, known online as Alex Lesley, gave the sickening advice to fans on his YouTube channel - which has nearly 100,000 subscribers. Following the depraved remarks, numerous complaints from women reached Russian authorities - claiming they had been harassed by his followers. Kirillov, who previously made headlines for being embroiled in a political scandal involving a female escort and a close Putin oligarch, currently lives outside Russia. The political controversy in question was linked to Belarusian escort Anastasia Vashukevich, 35, and Russian energy tycoon Oleg Deripaska. It came to light after Vashukevich claimed to have evidence that Deripaska and Russia's deputy prime minister were part of a Kremlin conspiracy to skew the 2016 US presidential election in favour of Donald Trump. Vashukevich revealed on Instagram that she had been on Deripaska's yacht in 2016 alongside the deputy prime minister Sergei Prikhodko when a secret meeting was held concerning the plot. But both Deripaska and Prikhodko denied wrongdoing. Following her claims Vashukevich, who known online as Nastya Rybka, was arrested. At the time of her detention she was in Thailand, where she had been running a bizarre four-day 'sex training' class alongside none other than Kirillov. As part of the "sex seminars" - which participants reportedly paid £1,000 to take part in - the pair claimed they could teach people how to make their partners climax. Activists occupy £50m London house owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska They spent nine months in custody - before a Thai court handed them a suspended 18-month sentence for soliciting and running an illegal "sex training course". Vashukevich and Kirillov were then deported to Moscow in January 2019 and arrested - but later released. Upon their arrival back in Russia, shocking footage showed Vashukevich, appearing to have been sedated, struggling as four men pushed her into a wheelchair and then carried her off. The current controversy came to light last week when at least 10 young women went public saying they had being groped by Kirillov's fans in Moscow. Some claimed that the encounters were filmed by accomplices as the men groped them and asked for sex. Two Russian MPs then complained to higher authorities before the Investigative Committee opened a case against Kirillov. 8 Vashukevich, also known as Nastya Rybka, in Thailand before being deported to Russia Credit: AFP 8 Kirillov arrives at a holding cell to face trial at a court in Pattaya, Thailand Credit: AFP 8 Oleg Deripaska hosted Vashukevich on his yacht in 2016 Credit: AP They said he had 'induced his followers to commit illegal acts of a sexual character towards female residents of the capital'. Two men have already been slapped with 15‑day jail terms for hooliganism following the reports, and a third suspect was remanded in custody in connection with the case against Kirillov. Twisted Kirillov, a Belarusian, told Moskva‑24 from an undisclosed location that he was not fazed by the allegations. He said: "If we lived in America or Germany, God forbid, then it could result in serious consequences. "Thankfully, we are in Russia." Billionaire Deripaska, was once estimated to be Russia's wealthiest man by Forbes, became notorious in the US for his alleged ties to political consultant Paul Manafort. Manafort was convicted of tax fraud, bank fraud and failure to report foreign bank accounts. These convictions stemmed from an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Deripaska was also previously reported to be tyrant Putin's "favourite" industrialist. And the low-profile oligarch also once hosted Lord Peter Mandelson, now the British Ambassador to the US, on his private yacht in Corfu. But Deripaska was hit by UK sanctions following a response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 8 Oligarch Deripaska has close ties to Putin Credit: Getty
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ian Blackford urges SNP to support defence spending
At this week's NATO summit, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer committed to raising defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. READ MORE Mr Blackford said this was a "seismic shift" and would have "massive implications for the budgets of every government department over the next decade." "Though in these islands we have excellence in many aspects of our armed forces, to a large extent our military capability has been hollowed out," he wrote. "The need to enhance defence capability and at pace is stark. "There is now a race to invest and if we take last year's defence spending of £53.9 billion as our base, we are going to have to find by 2035 an extra £60 billion plus a year to invest in defence. "Where is this to come from?" The former MP said 'difficult choices' would need to be made. He argued that defence funding should not be seen as a moral compromise, but as an economic lever. "Austerity will be a price to be paid as a consequence of having to invest in our national security. "Investment in defence, though, can be a lever and transformative in itself in generating economic growth." He noted that the industry already supports 33,500 workers in Scotland and contributes £3.2 billion in gross value. "We all want a high-growth, high-wage, high-productivity Scotland—a society that drives investment in skills and innovation." The SNP has long opposed public money being spent on munitions. The Scottish National Investment Bank's ethical investment policy currently bars organisations 'primarily engaged in the manufacture of munitions or weapons' from receiving support. Ian Blackford calling on the SNP to embrace the defence sector (Image: PA) Recently, a new welding centre—backed by Rolls-Royce and intended to support Royal Navy submarine construction—was denied funding by Scottish Enterprise. The UK Government has since stepped in to fund the initiative. The SNP has faced accusations of hypocrisy, as the Scottish Government funds Ferguson Marine, which is subcontracted by BAE to work on Royal Navy frigates. Mr Blackford's intervention comes as John Swinney faces mounting internal and external pressure to reconsider his government's position. Recently, the First Minister suggested the policy could be "reconsidered" given the growing threat from Russia. Speaking on the Holyrood Sources podcast, he said: "I'm conscious we are living in a very different context today. I do think the Russian threat is very real. We have to consider these questions." He added he had no objections if a company wished to set up a munitions factory in Scotland. The First Minister added: "We do not use public money to support the manufacture of munitions but will support skills and defence companies." Speaking to Scotland on Sunday, Stewart McDonald, the SNP's former defence spokesperson at Westminster, said it was time for the party to look again at the policy. "It hasn't had a proper defence debate since 2012, when we changed the policy on NATO," he said. "All of this is moving at such pace. The entire international picture is moving at a rapid pace and if we are a party that seeks to be an independent state—and an independent state in NATO and the EU—then we should have stuff to say on this." Mr McDonald warned: "There is a risk the party falls behind in that debate." He said: "That's a debate going on in capitals across Europe. And although Edinburgh is not a state capital, the Scottish Government has a role to play as a domestic partner. "We have an industry in Scotland worth many billions of pounds, employing somewhere between 33,000 and 35,000 people, and it has a very awkward relationship with the Scottish Government—it has done so for a long time." He suggested Mr Swinney should gather major and smaller defence employers in Scotland, invite the defence procurement minister from London, and ask: "How do I marshal the resources of the government—spending, policy, legislative—to better support this?" "I understand there's a bit of political balancing to be done here, but I think that can be over-thought and over-egged," he added. "We do live in much more dangerous times and there's a risk we are just saying the same stuff we've been saying for a long time—and that just would not be credible to stand still politically as the entire world changes around you." Mr McDonald branded the Scottish Enterprise ban on munitions-related investment "a stupid policy" and criticised restrictions at the Scottish National Investment Bank. Meanwhile, in the Sunday Mail, Labour's Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray, called on the SNP to reverse its opposition to nuclear weapons entirely. "Any responsible government has to make sure they put their national security and the safety of their own people first. "Scots only have to turn on their TVs and pick up their newspapers to read about the fact that there is a changing global instability. "I do think the Scottish Government should readdress it." Previously, Mr Murray described himself as a 'lifelong unilateralist' and was one of 2000 parliamentarians to have signed the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) pledge, which obliges signatories to work for their respective nations to sign up to a worldwide ban on nuclear weapons through the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). He added: "My views on nuclear weapons changed some time ago but they have been underlined and emphasised by the fact that the issue of nuclear weapons and deterrence has become a huge global stability issue. "For the Scottish Government to tell Rolls-Royce, one of the most respected British institutions, that they will not contribute to them investing in a highly skilled welding academy in Glasgow tells the public that they do not care about jobs, growth and opportunities for the future. "That is a huge part of the defence dividend we should be trying to capture. Places like Babcock and BAE Systems are hiring foreign welders from the Philippines and South Africa to do the work local people should be doing." READ MORE However, SNP defence spokesperson Dave Doogan told the paper that the party remained 'resolute' in its opposition to nuclear weapons. "We believe we're firmly in step with the vast majority of civil society in Scotland on that point. "Ian Murray, consistent with many other issues, is not in step with the majority of civil society in Scotland. "I've spoken to armed forces professionals who deal with the nuclear deterrent and nobody talks about it in the triumphant way in which Westminster politicians of the two main parties do." Any change in the Scottish Government's policy would likely be met with opposition from the Scottish Greens.
