MOSCOW/KIEV, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A ten-for-ten prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine took place in Belarus on Monday, local media reported.
The report said ten Ukrainian citizens and ten Russian servicemen returned home from captivity under instructions from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
"What Belarus is doing today addresses a humanitarian need awaited by all people caught in difficult circumstances on either side of the conflict," Belarusian lawmaker Irina Kostevich told media.
In a Telegram post on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the return of ten Ukrainian soldiers as part of a special prisoner exchange with Russia. The Russian side has not officially confirmed receiving the ten servicemen in return.
Russia and Ukraine have been conducting multiple prisoner swaps since the conflict erupted in 2022. ■