Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 307 of their service personnel on Saturday on the second day of a prisoner exchange that, when completed, is set to be the largest such swap in the three-year war between the two countries.

Russia and Ukraine were set to take part in a major prisoner swap on Friday, described as the biggest since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.

As buses carrying released POWs arrived, people chanted ‘Welcome!’ and held portraits of their relatives missing or in captivity, hoping that someone will recognize their family member.