"Our people are returning home," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy writes on X, adding that most of the prisoners of war have been in captivity since 2022.
In the post, Zelenskyy also mentions seven civilians; it is unclear whether they are included in the 175.
“Getting everyone home from Russian captivity is a matter of principle for us,” he continues.
The Russian Defense Ministry also wrote about the prisoner exchange in a post on a Kremlin-backed messaging service, according to AFP: "On April 11, 175 Russian soldiers were returned from areas controlled by the Kyiv regime. In exchange, 175 prisoners of war from the Ukrainian armed forces were handed over," it said.
A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is scheduled to begin on Saturday in connection with the Orthodox Easter celebration.
