Latest news with #StateBorderGuardService
Dubai Eye
4 days ago
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Ukraine and Russia exchange POWs in latest swap
Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war on Thursday, officials from both countries said, the latest round of swaps under an agreement struck in Istanbul. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted images of the freed Ukrainian troops, smiling and draped in the national flag, most of whom had been held captive since the early months of Russia's February 2022 invasion, he said. Our people are returning home from Russian captivity. These are warriors of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service. Most of them had been held captive since 2022. They are defenders of Ukraine who fought in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk,… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 19, 2025 The Ukrainian POWs exchanged on Thursday were sick or injured, according to Kyiv's coordinating council for POWs. The Russian POWs would also be sent for treatment and rehabilitation, Moscow's defence ministry said. Neither Ukraine nor Russia, whose talks on ending the war have yielded few results besides the exchange of prisoners or remains, provided an exact figure of how many POWs had been exchanged.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine secures fourth prisoner exchange in past week
Ukraine conducted its fourth prisoner exchange with Russia in a week on 14 June 2025, bringing back military personnel and officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X (Twitter) Quote: "We continue bringing our people home from Russian captivity. This is already the fourth exchange this week. Many of the guys who returned to Ukraine today had been held captive since 2022. They are warriors of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service and the State Transport Special Service." Details: The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War provided details of the exchange. Those released include seriously ill and wounded individuals, as well as young people under 25. Most are officers. The repatriated servicemen include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – such as Airborne Assault Troops, Navy and Territorial Defence Forces – alongside personnel from the State Border Guard Service, National Guard and State Special Transport Service. They fought on the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy and Kursk fronts. Background: At the negotiations in Istanbul on 2 June, Ukraine and Russia agreed on a 6,000-for-6,000 exchange of bodies of fallen soldiers. The Ukrainian and Russian delegations also agreed on an all-for-all exchange of seriously wounded service members and those aged 18-25. On 9 June, the first group of released servicemen under the age of 25 returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity as part of the first stage of the 66th prisoner exchange. On 10 June, Ukraine brought back from Russian captivity a group of defenders who had suffered severe injuries and have serious health conditions. On 11 June, the bodies of 1,212 fallen defenders were brought back to Ukraine as a result of repatriation efforts. The Coordination Headquarters emphasised that for security reasons, the exact number of released service members will be announced upon completion of the exchange process. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Russian assault groups expand attacks in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast
Russian forces are deploying small infantry groups to put pressure on Ukrainian defences in Sumy Oblast, aiming to expand their foothold. Source: Andrii Demchenko, State Border Guard Service spokesman, on air during the national 24/7 newscast Quote: "The situation in Sumy Oblast, particularly in Yunakivka and Khotyn hromadas, remains challenging. [Hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]. The enemy continues to exert pressure, using small infantry and assault groups to accumulate forces and conduct operations, attacking Ukrainian defenders' positions on our territory. This has been ongoing, most actively around Basivka and Zhuravka. Recently, the enemy has expanded these efforts westward, targeting settlements like Vasylivka and Volodymyrivka," he said. Demchenko explained that Russian assault groups, often using all-terrain vehicles or motorcycles, attempt to penetrate deep into Ukrainian territory, await reinforcements, and then attack Ukrainian positions. He noted that Russian forces face Ukrainian counterfire not only in Ukraine but also in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Background: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said in his report for May that the Russian army has become significantly more active on the Zaporizhzhia front and has focused its efforts on Sumy Oblast. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Russia steps up offensives in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Sumy oblasts, Syrskyi says
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 31 that Russian forces have ramped up assault operations across key fronts in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Sumy oblasts. "(Russian troops) have notably increased activity in the Zaporizhzhia direction, where they are conducting active offensive actions," Syrskyi said following a strategic meeting assessing military operations in May. According to Syrskyi, Ukraine's Armed Forces are inflicting substantial losses on Russian troops, claiming over 34,000 Russian personnel were killed in May alone. Ukrainian artillery, aviation, and drone systems have been targeting enemy units "even before they reach our positions," he said. While Russia's main efforts remain concentrated on the Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Lyman fronts in Donetsk Oblast, as well as in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast bordering Russia, Zaporizhzhia has seen an uptick in escalation, Syrskyi noted. He added that Ukrainian forces are reinforcing high-risk areas with reserves and intensifying firepower to repel attacks. In the Sumy Oblast, Russian forces have continued cross-border raids, shelling, and attempted sabotage missions. Ukrainian officials and military analysts warn of a possible new Russian offensive targeting the region. On May 29, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said Russia had amassed "sufficient forces" in neighboring Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an incursion into Sumy. Syrskyi also highlighted Ukrainian cross-border operations, stating that in May, Ukraine struck 58 military targets deep inside Russian territory using long-range DeepStrike systems. These included defense industry facilities producing explosive materials and combat drones. Fighting continues on the Kursk front, where Russia has deployed elite units initially intended for operations in eastern Ukraine. On May 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly visited Kursk Oblast after Moscow declared on April 26 that it had completed a military operation to liberate the territory from Ukrainian incursions. The Ukrainian military said on April 26 some of the areas were still under their control. Read also: Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Russians complain border regions uninhabitable as Kremlin pushes for buffer zone, Ukraine's military intelligence says
Residents in Russian regions along the Ukrainian border complain the area is increasingly uninhabitable due to the government's actions amid Moscow's attempt to establish a "buffer zone," according to a call intercepted by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and posted May 29. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on May 22 that he ordered the military to begin creating a "security buffer zone" along the border of Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod oblasts. In the call, a resident of Russia's Belgorod Oblast claims that authorities have cut off gas along the border. The speaker predicts mandatory evacuations will follow as living conditions worsen. "Well, in short, it's clear that they're going to kick everyone out of the border areas and create a gray zone," the unidentified individual says. "Gray zones" refer to areas along the border and front lines where there is contested or unclear control. The resident speaking on the call anticipates that the area will become so heavily militarized it will be partitioned from the rest of the region. "Let them make temporary settlements, zones, and that's it. They'll even fence it off with barbed wire," the resident says. Russia's Belogorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts, is regularly used as a staging area for Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory. Russian officials have also accused Kyiv of repeatedly launching strikes on the region and the city of Belgorod since the war began. Ukraine launched a small-scale offensive in Belgorod Oblast in late March, marking Kyiv's second cross-border operation in Russian territory after the August 2024 Kursk incursion. Russian forces are now reportedly amassing along the border in preparation for a possible offensive against Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, according to the State Border Guard Service. Moscow has repeatedly indicated plans to create a buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia in the area. Escalated violence along the Sumy border has triggered mass civilian evacuations, with tens of thousands of Ukrainians ordered to leave their homes. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia reports 2nd consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
