Ukraine and Russia exchange 100 captured soldiers

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Russia and Ukraine on Sunday swapped 50 captured soldiers each, continuing regular prisoner-of-war exchanges between the countries. The prisoner swap occurred as the two countries continued fighting after a questionable cease-fire timed for the Jan. 7 Russian Orthodox Christmas holiday. Although it is unclear how many prisoners each country currently holds, they have both released hundreds of soldiers since September. Ukrainian officials say their ultimate goal is to secure the release of all Ukrainians being held by Russian forces.

How are prisoners treated while in enemy hands? A United Nations report issued in November indicated poor treatment in both Ukrainian and Russian prisoner-of-war camps. The report included testimony from Russian prisoners of war currently being held in Ukraine and testimony from freed Ukrainian prisoners.

Dig deeper: Read Evgeny Kosykh’s report in WORLD Magazine on who’s fighting Russia’s battles.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.