Russia and Ukraine each exchange 103 prisoners of war as questions remain over Kyiv's use of long-range missiles

14 September 2024, 14:28 | Updated: 14 September 2024, 14:32

Russia and Ukraine have each handed over 103 prisoners of war, according to Russia's defence ministry.

The Russian soldiers had reportedly been taken prisoner in their country's Kursk region after Ukrainian forces captured territory there last month in their first major incursion into Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared photos of the Ukrainian prisoners released today in a post on social media.

He said: "Our people are home... I thank our exchange team for delivering such good news for Ukraine."

Zelenskyy confirmed 82 of the captured Ukrainians were privates and sergeants, and 21 were officers including border guards and police officers.

Kyiv and Donetsk were among the regions they had been defending.

It comes a day after Kyiv said it secured the release of 49 people from Russian captivity but didn’t disclose how many Russian prisoners were involved in the exchange.

Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday its forces had recaptured 10 settlements seized by Ukrainian forces in the surprise incursion in the Kursk region launched on 6 August.

Zelensky confirmed that Russia had begun"counter-offensive actions, which is going in line with our Ukrainian plan".

Zelenskyy’s forces had managed to capture over 1000 sq km of the Russian border region forcing over 121,000 people to evacuate in a bid to create a buffer zone between Russia and Ukraine.

"Everything that inflicts losses on the Russian army, the Russian state, their military industrial complex and their economy - all this helps us to prevent the widening of the war," he previously said.

Read more: Foreign Office slams Russia's 'baseless' accusations that six British diplomats were spying in Moscow

Read more: Putin warns NATO will be 'at war' with Russia if Ukraine is given the go-ahead to use shadow missiles

This latest prisoner of war exchange comes following Vladimir Putin’s ominous warning over suggestions Ukraine may be given permission to strike Russian territory with Western-made long-range missiles.

The Russian President said such a development would put NATO "at war" with Mosco.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described Mr Putin's claim as "an absolute legal fiction".

The Russian leader told reporters the use of the UK-made missiles would "change the very nature of the conflict".

"It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia," he told state media.

There had been strong indications the US and UK are poised to lift existing restrictions limiting the use of shadow missiles in Ukraine.

But John Kirby, a spokesman for the US national security council, announced on Friday that there would be "no change" to the policy, following a meeting between UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, Starmer claimed that the UK and US had reached a "strong position" in their bid to find a resolution to the conflict.