Emotional Scenes as Captured Soldiers Return Home in Major Exchange

The first stage of the major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine since the start of the special military operation was caught on video. The footage was published on the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

The video shows the released servicemen shouting "Hurrah!" near a bus that will take them back home. One of the soldiers expresses being overwhelmed with emotion upon returning from captivity.

"I'm very happy to be back home. (…) Everything will be fine, glory to Russia!" the soldier says.

Russia and Ukraine To Continue Exchanging Prisoners

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia will continue tomorrow and the day after tomorrow (May 24 and 25).

The beginning of the largest prisoner exchange since the start of the special military operation was announced on Friday, May 23.

Russia and Ukraine agreed to conduct the POW swap based on the "1000 for 1000" format during negotiations held on May 16 in Istanbul.

Details

A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war in custody for a range of legitimate and illegitimate reasons, such as isolating them from the enemy combatants still in the field (releasing and repatriating them in an orderly manner after hostilities), demonstrating military victory, punishing them, prosecuting them for war crimes, exploiting them for their labour, recruiting or even conscripting them as their own combatants, collecting military and political intelligence from them, or indoctrinating them in new political or religious beliefs.