For his part, the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, said He hopes to speak with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, during the G7 summit in Canada, to ask for new sanctions against Russia.
But Trump said Thursday that EIt is “very disappointed” with both Ukraine and Russia for not having reached a peace agreement to end the war.
“I am very disappointed with Russia, but also with Ukraine, because I think you could have reached agreements”, The president told journalists in an act at the White House.
Neither Ukraine nor Russia have specified the number of exchanged prisoners in the third phase of an agreement sealed during direct conversations in Istanbul (Türkiye) in early June.
The exchange of prisoners and bodies of deceased soldiers was the only concrete result of that meeting.
“Soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard and Border Guards They are back home”, Volodimir Zelenski celebrated on Telegram.
Zelenski, whose country carries three years fighting the Russian invasion, He published a photo of the Ukrainian soldiers, wrapped in national flags, received upon arrival in Ukraine.
“A group of Russian military has been returned from the territory controlled by the kyiv regime ”said the Russian Defense Ministry, confirming the exchange. Subsequently, he published a video that showed Russian soldiers released.
On the Ukrainian side, as in each exchange, those released were received by relatives of missing soldiers They are looking for news from their loved ones, an AFP journalist reported.
According to the Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytró Lubinets, the soldiers released on Thursday had been detained since the first days of the Russian invasion and They are between 22 and 59 years old.
The exchanges of prisoners of war and the repatriation of soldiers’ bodies are from the Few areas where Ukraine and Russia continue to cooperatedespite the war.
Economic and military pressure
The previous exchanges of young or injured prisoners, agreed in Istanbul, occurred on June 9 and 10.
June 11, Russia delivered 1,212 dead soldiers to Ukraine in combat and recovered in return 27 deceased Russian military.
Exchanges occur while fighting continue. The Russian forces press in the Sumy (North) region and are about 20 kilometers from the regional capital.
The Russian army has also made several Large -scale night attacks In Ukraine in recent days, including the capital, kyiv; the port city of Odessa; and Járkov, the second city in the country.
In the early hours of Thursday, 14 people were injured in Járkov (northeast) for new Russian attacks with drones that caused fires.
In Russia, a two -year -old boy died Thursday for a attack by a Ukrainian drone in the border region of Belgorod, His governor announced on Telegram.
The negotiations for a high fire are in the dead man, and Russia refuses to resume them Until their demands are met, including the assignment of four Ukrainian regions and that Ukraine renounces NATO.
Despite this, the head of the Ukrainian diplomacy, Andrii Sibiga, assured that Ukraine wants to end the war “this year”, Provided that the West reinforces its“ economic pressure ”and“ military ”over Moscow.
For his part, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited kyiv on Thursday and announced additional aid to Ukraine of US $ 2,200 million To deal with Russia.
However, the minister assured that Germany does not plan to deliver long -range bullfighting missiles To Ukraine, which requests them to counteract Russian attacks.