Russia, Ukraine swap tons of of prisoners in warfare's largest trade

[ad_1] Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a short lived Easter ceasefire in Ukraine beginning Saturday, citing humanitarian causes, as Russia and Ukraine swapped tons of of captured troopers within the largest exchange since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began over three years in the past.

In line with the Kremlin, the ceasefire will final from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday to midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.

“We assume that the Ukrainian aspect will observe our instance. On the identical time, our troops have to be able to repel attainable violations of the truce and provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions,” Putin stated at a gathering with Chief of the Common Employees Valery Gerasimov, in a video shared by the Kremlin’s Press Service.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to as the ceasefire “one other try by Putin to play with human lives.” He wrote on X that “air raid alerts are spreading throughout Ukraine,” and “Shahed drones in our skies reveal Putin’s true perspective towards Easter and towards human life.”

Largest POW trade to date The 2 sides in the meantime exchanged tons of of POWs on Saturday. Russia’s Ministry of Protection stated that 246 Russian service members had been returned from territory managed by Kyiv, and that “as a gesture of goodwill” 31 wounded Ukrainian POWs had been transferred in trade for 15 wounded Russian troopers in want of pressing medical care.

Zelenskyy stated that 277 Ukrainian “warriors” have returned residence from Russian captivity.

Putin’s ceasefire announcement got here after U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday stated negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither aspect is “taking part in” him in his push to finish the grinding three-year warfare.

Trump spoke shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. might “transfer on” from attempting to safe a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there isn't any progress within the coming days, after months of efforts have did not convey an finish to the fighting .

In January 2023, Putin had ordered his forces in Ukraine to watch a unilateral, 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had stopped in need of stating his forces would reject Putin’s request, however dismissed the Russian transfer as taking part in for time to regroup its invasion forces and put together extra assaults.

Russia says its forces are near recapturing Kursk Russia’s Protection Ministry stated Saturday its forces pushed Ukrainian troops from the village of Oleshnya, considered one of their final remaining footholds in Russia’s Kursk area the place the Ukrainians staged a surprise incursion final yr.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukrainian forces “continued their exercise on the territory of the Kursk area and are holding their positions.”

The Related Press was unable to instantly confirm the declare by Russia.

In line with Russian state information company Tass, Russia continues to be combating to push Ukrainian forces out of the village of Gornal, some 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Oleshnya.

“The Russian navy has but to push the Ukrainian armed forces out of Gornal ... as a way to utterly liberate the Kursk area. Fierce combating is underway within the settlement,” the company reported, citing Russia safety companies.

Russian and North Korean troopers have practically disadvantaged Kyiv of a key bargaining chip by retaking a lot of the area, the place Ukrainian troops staged a surprise incursion final yr.

In different developments, the Ukrainian air pressure reported that Russia fired 87 exploding drones and decoys within the newest wave of assaults in a single day into Saturday. It stated 33 of them had been intercepted and one other 36 had been misplaced, possible having been electronically jammed.

Russian assaults broken farms within the Odesa area and sparked fires within the Sumy area in a single day, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service stated Saturday. Fires had been contained, and no casualties had been reported.

Russia’s Ministry of Protection, in the meantime, stated its air protection methods shot down two Ukrainian drones in a single day into Saturday.

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Observe AP’s protection of the warfare in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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