Plane carrying 307 freed Russian soldiers lands in Moscow

A transport aircraft carrying 307 Russian soldiers released by Ukraine landed in the Moscow Region on Saturday, according to military-affiliated Zvezda TV.

The repatriated personnel were freed under the second phase of a large-scale prisoner exchange deal between Moscow and Kiev. The swap, conducted on May 24, mirrored the previous day’s exchange in which 390 prisoners, both soldiers and civilians, were returned by each side. The ongoing deal, brokered during peace talks in Istanbul, aims to swap a total of 1,000 captives from each country over a three-day period.

Footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defense showed the liberated Russian troops boarding buses and waving national flags as they began their journey home.

Simultaneously, Ukraine confirmed the return of 307 of its servicemen, including members of the Armed Forces, State Border Guard Service, and National Guard.

Despite this rare moment of cooperation, the exchange came just hours after Russia carried out a missile strike against a container ship docked at the port of Odesa, claiming the vessel was transporting a significant load of military hardware intended for Ukraine.

“On May 23, Iskander ballistic missile system crews launched a massive missile strike on a container ship that was transporting military equipment to the port of Odesa, as well as on a container warehouse in the port,” the ministry stated.

Read more: Russia claimed strikes on arms shipment in Odesa port

According to Moscow, the ship carried around 100 containers, primarily loaded with unmanned surface vessels, aerial drones, and various types of ammunition. Russian officials said the strike caused explosions among the unloaded cargo and ignited a large fire on the pier.

“The strike caused secondary detonation of the ammunition and containers unloaded on the pier, as well as a large fire,” the statement added.