Ukraine submits list of 1,000 prisoners for planned exchange with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said Kyiv had formally handed Russia a list of 1,000 detainees for a major prisoner exchange agreed between the two sides, even as Moscow and Kyiv traded accusations of violating a fragile three-day ceasefire.

“The prisoner exchange, 1,000 for 1,000, is being prepared and must take place. The Americans assumed responsibility for these guarantees,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address, according to the Ukrainian presidential press service.

The proposed exchange, if completed, would mark one of the largest prisoner swaps since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated into full-scale war.

Zelenskyy also renewed calls for direct negotiations to end the war, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared ready for substantive talks after prolonged resistance.

“Now Putin himself says that he is finally ready for real meetings. We pushed him a little toward this, and we have long been ready for such meetings ourselves — now a format must be found,” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed that any future settlement must include credible long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.

The comments came two days after Russian and Ukrainian negotiators agreed to a temporary ceasefire from Saturday to Monday during Russia’s Victory Day commemorations, alongside the planned exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side.

However, despite the agreement, both countries accused each other on Sunday of repeatedly breaching the truce.

Russia’s defence ministry claimed Ukrainian forces committed 16,071 ceasefire violations over the previous 24 hours, including artillery shelling, drone attacks and assaults on Russian positions.

The ministry said Russian troops responded with retaliatory strikes targeting Ukrainian artillery systems, multiple launch rocket systems, command centres and drone launch sites.

A day earlier, Moscow had reported nearly 9,000 ceasefire violations across several regions.

Ukraine, meanwhile, accused Russia of continuing attacks despite the declared pause in fighting. Ukrainian authorities said at least one person was killed and 15 others were injured in Russian strikes across the country on Sunday.

The general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Russian troops launched around 60 attacks on Ukrainian positions during the day, describing the ceasefire as largely ineffective on the front lines.

The latest accusations underscore the deep mistrust between the two sides even as diplomatic efforts continue to revive negotiations and secure humanitarian agreements such as prisoner exchanges.

The war, now in its fourth year, has left tens of thousands dead, displaced millions and triggered one of the gravest geopolitical crises in Europe since World War II.

With IANS inputs