Families of missing Ukrainians gather as prisoner exchange begins

The households of lacking Ukrainian troopers gathered near the border with Belarus on Monday, as a deliberate prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine happened.

Because the bus carrying prisoners of struggle arrived, a crowd of family surged ahead, many brandishing photographs of lacking fathers, brothers and sons.

Faces have been crammed with apprehension. Few anticipated to be reunited, and most have been simply determined for info after ready years for any information.

Through the newest spherical of direct talks in Turkey final week, the 2 warring sides agreed to trade sick and closely wounded prisoners of struggle, these aged underneath 25, and the our bodies of 12,000 troopers.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated the trade would unfold “in a number of phases” over the approaching days.

Writing on Telegram, he stated: “The method is kind of sophisticated, there are numerous delicate particulars, negotiations proceed nearly daily.”

Russia’s defence ministry stated “the primary group of Russian servicemen underneath the age of 25 have been returned from the territory managed by the Kyiv regime” and {that a} “related quantity” had been returned to Ukraine. Neither facet supplied a precise determine of how many individuals had been exchanged.

As with previous exchanges, Moscow stated the repatriated Russian troopers have been receiving psychological and medical help in Belarus.

Officers in Kyiv stated a number of the Ukrainian prisoners who returned on Monday had been in Russian captivity for the reason that starting of the struggle.

Tetiana, who had gathered with different Ukrainians within the Chernihiv area near Belarus, carried a cardboard signal with photographs of her father, Valentyn, and cousin, Mykola, each nonetheless lacking.

“When my father went to combat, my greatest worry was that he would go lacking,” she stated, her eyes filling with tears. “I hoped perhaps he’d be wounded and are available again.”

The struggle has exacted a heavy toll on the household. Tetiana’s uncle was killed final September, however his physique was solely just lately returned for burial.

When one of many returned prisoners appeared at an upstairs window, girls ready beneath hurled the names of regiments at him, hoping he may need information.

He apologised, made a coronary heart signal along with his arms and referred to as out “slava Ukraini” – glory to Ukraine. “Heroiam Slava” – glory to the heroes – the group replied in unison.

Glimpsed briefly by the group as they have been escorted inside, a number of the troopers regarded gaunt.

“They spent plenty of time in Russian locations of detention, with none visits of Worldwide Crimson Cross,” Petro Yatsenko, of Ukraine’s Coordination HQ for prisoners of struggle, informed the BBC.

“Their well being circumstances are very poor. They haven’t had ample meals. In fact they want an extended interval of rehabilitation.”

However 23-year-old Valera, again on house soil after three years and three months of captivity, appeared joyful sufficient after a bowl of Ukrainian soup.

As he turned to go away, girls pressed ahead, pushing photos of the lacking into his arms, hoping he would possibly recognise somebody.

Final week, Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of disrupting the planned repatriation of the our bodies of useless troopers.

Russia stated that the our bodies of greater than 1,000 Ukrainian troopers had been taken to an agreed trade level however that Ukrainian officers had by no means arrived. Ukraine accused Moscow of “enjoying soiled video games” and alleged that Russia was not sticking to the agreed parameters of the swap.

In late Could, Russia and Ukraine every handed over 390 troopers and civilians within the greatest prisoner trade since Russia launched the full-scale invasion in 2022.

In the meantime, struggle continued in a single day, with Moscow launching a document 479 drones at Ukraine, together with within the western area of Rivne that had been largely spared from assaults.

Russia’s defence ministry stated it had focused Rivne’s Dubno base and described this as “one of many retaliatory strikes” in response to Ukraine’s audacious drone attacks on Russian airfields on 1 June.

The in a single day Russian launches brought on harm in a number of Ukrainian areas however there have been no experiences of casualties.

Russia has just lately escalated its assaults on Ukraine, with every week bringing a brand new document of drones fired on the nation.

For its half, Kyiv stated it attacked one other Russian airbase within the Nizhny Novgorod area, which lies 400 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Ukraine stated the bottom homes planes that launch hypersonic missiles and that it had broken “two models of enemy plane”.

It additionally focused an electronics manufacturing unit that Kyiv says manufactures tools to information drones and aerial bombs.

Video exhibits one of many explosions brought on by an assault drone, and a big fireplace on the plant. Manufacturing there was suspended.