Displaying items by tag: exchange of prisoners

On 31 January, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange. Russia claimed that each side received 195 soldiers, but Volodymyr Zelensky said that 207 Ukrainian soldiers had been returned. This was the 50th exchange since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the first such swap since the recent plane crash which Russia claimed had 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board. There are continuing doubts in Kyiv regarding this assertion, especially because no photographs have been released showing dozens of dead bodies. Both sides have called for an international investigation, and the details of the incident remain unverified. In another development, the International Court of Justice has ruled that Russia violated terrorism and anti-discrimination treaties: see

On 12 December, Armenia and Azerbaijan took a significant step forward by exchanging prisoners. This move follows years of conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan annexed in September, resulting in most of its population fleeing to Armenia. The exchange, facilitated by the International Red Cross, involved the release of 10 Azerbaijani prisoners and the return of 15 Armenian captives. This act of goodwill was welcomed by the EU and the USA, who have been trying for years to persuade the two countries to sign a peace treaty. The exchange follows another positive move, an announcement on 7 December by Azerbaijan that it would not object to Armenia hosting COP29 in 2024: see