Antonio Guterres also thanked the Turkish government "for its role in securing this agreement"

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is hopeful that Russia and Ukraine will carry out an all-for-all prisoner exchange.

"Yesterday’s news that more than 250 prisoners of war were exchanged between Ukraine and the Russian Federation was a welcome development. I commend the efforts of both parties and hope they will build on this with further exchanges aiming at an ‘all-for-all’ formula," Guterres pointed out at a UN Security Council ministerial meeting on Ukraine.

The UN chief also thanked the Turkish government "for its role in securing this agreement."

Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin said earlier on Thursday that 215 prisoners, including members of Ukrainian nationalist battalions, had been handed over to Kiev in exchange for 55 military servicemen and Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk.

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