OR Russia and the Ukraine Today (04.07.2025) a new exchange of prisoners of war, under their agreement signed last month in Constantinople, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement without specifying their exact number.
Russia and Ukraine have previously carried out several exchanges of prisoners of war, with the latter being June 26, 2025.
“On July 4, 2025, a new group of Russian soldiers returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that showed a video showing a video showing a video showing a video showing a video showing a video showing a video showing a video showing a video showing About 15 soldiers shouting “Russia!” while they are wrapped with Russian flags.
Russian prisoners of war celebrate their liberation / Russian Defense Ministry / Handout Via Reuters
This exchange was also confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski, who clarified that TKiev regained military personnel, “Most of whom were held by Russians by 2022“, As well as citizens.
Our people are home. Most of them had been held in Russian captivity since 2022.
Today, our defenders who fought for Ukraine in various regions – the Donetsk region and Mariupol, the Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions – are coming back. These are warriors of the Armed Forces,… pic.twitter.com/HR6PCPyXGO
– Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@zelenskyyua) July 4, 2025
“The discussions must continue (…) Ukraine’s goal is to release all of our compatriots who are held by Russia,” the Ukrainian president told Telegram.
On June 2, 2025, Kiev and Moscow agreed to release all prisoners of war under 25 or seriously injuredbut also to return the remains of the dead fighters, the only tangible result of the negotiations in Istanbul.
Both sides have recently stopped providing information on the number of prisoners of war released in these exchanges.
Donald Trump’s return to White House at the beginning of the year It allowed the re -establishment in May of direct peace talks between Ukrainians and Russianswhich had been suspended by the spring of 2022.
However, the two rounds of talks, which until then were carried out under Turkish mediation, have not led to significant developments. The dates for the third round of talks are not yet set.
Russia, which began a massive attack on Ukraine more than three years ago, has rejected any prolonged truce and, in order to end the conflict, requires Ukraine to grant four areas, except for the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in 2014.
These terms are unacceptable to Ukraine, which, together with its European allies, requires unconditionally 30 -day truce before peacekeeping negotiations with Moscow and wishes the Russian army to withdraw from its territory.
Source: onalert.gr