MOSCOW/KYIV - Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 303 prisoners on Sunday, completing the largest prisoner exchange under an agreement reached during their recent talks in Istanbul, Turkiye.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that 303 Russian servicemen have "returned from Kyiv-controlled territory", while an equivalent number of Ukrainian prisoners have also been freed.

Among those released were personnel from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

The freed Russian prisoners are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are being provided with necessary psychological and medical assistance, said the Russian Defense Ministry.

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Following their direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 16, Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each, marking the largest prisoner swap since the start of the conflict in 2022.

On Friday, both sides exchanged 270 soldiers and 120 civilians, followed by a 307-for-307 swap of military personnel on Saturday.

The three-day exchange of prisoners was the 65th swap of captives between the two sides since the start of the conflict and the sixth of its kind this year, according to Ukraine's Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Russian airstrike

In a combined missile-drone attack launched by Russia early Sunday, at least 12 people, including three children, were killed and dozens of others injured across Ukraine, authorities said.

Four people were killed and 23 others were injured in the Kyiv region, with most casualties reported in villages surrounding the capital, the National Police said in a Telegram post.

In the capital, which came under attack for the second consecutive night, 11 others were injured and residential buildings were damaged, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

The State Service for Emergencies said three children were killed in the northern Zhytomyr region, four fatalities were reported in the western Khmelnytskyi region and one in the southern Mykolaiv region.

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According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the attacks involved 56 cruise missiles, nine ballistic missiles, four guided missiles and 298 combat drones. The air defense had downed 45 cruise missiles and 266 drones.