Russia and Ukraine carried out a massive prisoner exchange on Friday, marking the most significant swap since the war between the two nations began more than three years ago. President Trump remarked that the exchange “could lead to something big.”
A total of 390 individuals from each country were returned home, including both military personnel and civilians, with officials indicating that additional transfers are anticipated in the coming days.
This exchange followed a rare direct dialogue between Russian and Ukrainian representatives last week, during which both sides agreed to release 1,000 prisoners each—marking their first face-to-face peace discussion since the early phase of Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“It’s very important to bring everyone home,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, acknowledging the importance of the swap.
President Trump, who has played a central role in trying to bring the conflict to an end, was the first to publicly announce the prisoner exchange early Friday morning.
“A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine,” he posted on Truth Social before sunrise.
“Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???” Trump added, raising the possibility of broader progress in the peace process.
The prisoner swap was the most concrete achievement to emerge from a strained two-hour meeting in Istanbul last week. However, the meeting failed to produce a breakthrough on a broader cease-fire initiative advanced by Trump.
Despite Friday’s release of prisoners, combat operations between the two nations did not pause.
Russian forces targeted the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa with a pair of ballistic missiles, striking infrastructure. One person was killed in the attack, while eight others were wounded, including four who are in critical condition. It marked the first strike on the port since March 11.
Clashes along the more than 600-mile frontline persisted, as both militaries continued to engage without signs of de-escalation, and the death toll from ongoing battles continues to rise.
Although Trump expressed optimism that this development might prompt Russia to consider winding down the war, Moscow remains opposed to a 30-day cease-fire supported by the United States—a proposal Kyiv has signaled it would accept without hesitation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Zelensky’s suggestion to meet face to face in Turkey last week. Instead, the Kremlin sent a junior delegation to represent its interests.
At the Istanbul meeting, Russian negotiators insisted that Ukraine cede control of four key cities—Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk—all territories that Russia has aimed to annex since launching its invasion. Ukraine refused to concede, maintaining its position firmly.
While Trump initially warned that Russia could face stronger sanctions if it blocked the peace process, he held off after speaking directly with Putin on Monday, choosing for now not to take additional punitive steps.
{Matzav.com}