This prisoner swap has turn into the one huge success of Trump-brokered direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. The primary evening of the trade, Russia attacked Ukraine with 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles, whereas claiming that it might present its personal model of a peace proposal after the tip of the POW trade. Ukraine attacked Russia with 94 drones the identical evening.
‘Thanks, heroes’
A number of hours earlier than the assault, a whole bunch of girls, males and youngsters roared with pleasure as they noticed the primary buses arriving at a gathering spot. For a number of the crowd, that day would have turn into both the happiest day of their lives in the event that they acknowledged their family members within the sea of underfed, exhausted and traumatized faces and shaved heads of former Russian prisoners. Or it might be one more tragedy in the event that they don’t.
Some folks have been completely happy, waving flags and screaming “Thanks, heroes,” whereas others confirmed the newly arrived troopers the portraits of their family members who couldn’t be discovered.
“Nearly six months of obscurity. We got here right here with the hope that a minimum of somebody may need seen him in Russian prisons. Perhaps a few of them will acknowledge him from a photograph, or perhaps they’ve heard his final title,” mentioned Liubov Zabrodina, whose husband went lacking on the conflict entrance in December 2024.
Because the buses cease and the primary troopers come out, there’s a contented scream heard close by, the place Tetiana, a younger girl waving the Ukrainian marines’ flag, sees the face of her husband.
“I haven’t seen him since 2022, since Mariupol. I didn’t know, my pals informed me. I can’t sort out my feelings. My coronary heart is in my toes,” Tetiana fortunately screams as a drained hand waves at her from the bus.
