After Istanbul talks, Russia-Ukraine conduct largest prisoner change since struggle started : NPR

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Ukraine and Russia are within the strategy of the biggest prisoner change since Russia’s full-scale invasion greater than three years in the past. The change comes out of talks in Istanbul final week between the 2 international locations. Officers name it a confidence-building measure, however preventing continues at the same time as prisoners are being launched. NPR’s Joanna Kakissis is in northern Ukraine now to witness the Ukrainian troopers being freed over the following couple of days. Joanna, thanks for being with us.

JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: Thanks for having me, Scott.

SIMON: And please simply describe the scene for us.

KAKISSIS: So, Scott, it was a extremely emotional expertise, and what we noticed actually confirmed the human value of Russia’s struggle on Ukraine. I am unable to actually describe a lot concerning the location of the change as a result of Ukrainian authorities requested journalists to not disclose it for safety causes. However image this leafy courtyard stuffed with dozens of households, the kin of troopers who’re in captivity, all holding up banners or posters with photos of their family members.

(CROSSTALK)

KAKISSIS: Now, Scott, these households do not know if they’d see their family members right now, however almost all of them had been girls – wives, moms, daughters – and so they had been simply ready for the buses carrying the freed prisoners of struggle to see if their very own individuals had been amongst them.

SIMON: And, Joanna, what did these households let you know?

KAKISSIS: Each story was considered one of ache and longing. Many of those troopers have been lacking for 2 or three years. Their households have no information of them. I am unable to cease excited about this younger girl named Milena Moroz. She’s 18 years outdated, slight, with these large glasses. And she or he was holding a photograph of her dad, Yevhen. He is been lacking since February of this yr.

MILENA MOROZ: (Talking Ukrainian).

KAKISSIS: She advised me her dad and mom are divorced and that she felt dangerous that it was at all times her dad calling her from the frontline. She now needs she had referred to as him, too, if solely to say one factor out loud.

MOROZ: (Talking Ukrainian, crying).

KAKISSIS: She began crying and stated, “I wish to inform him, I really like you, Dad.”

SIMON: Effectively, bless all of them, Joanna. These exchanges have occurred earlier than, however this one has some particular significance, would not it?

KAKISSIS: Yeah. That is the sixty fifth prisoner change because the starting of the full-scale invasion, however it’s the largest one. It is occurring over three days to accommodate a thousand Ukrainians. And this change got here out of the talks in Istanbul between Ukrainian and Russian representatives. It is the one breakthrough from these talks. It is the one space the place Russia and Ukraine can cooperate. Nonetheless, there are nonetheless 1000’s of Ukrainian prisoners of struggle in Russia. Many are civilians. A few of these had been freed already within the first day of this change. A lot of the households we met right here, although, had been ready for troopers.

SIMON: And, Joanna, what occurred when the buses with freed Ukrainians lastly confirmed up?

KAKISSIS: It was an unimaginable second, a uncommon second of pleasure for Ukraine. You recognize, you see 390 newly freed Ukrainians coming house off these buses.

(CROSSTALK)

KAKISSIS: When the buses arrived, the doorways opened, and the group of households simply rushed to greet the troopers. The boys waved as they emerged. And, , we noticed them. Their heads are shaved. Their emaciated our bodies had been draped in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags. They’d suffered in captivity. The freed troopers scanned the group for his or her households. Ivan Mosych advised us he was nervous.

IVAN MOSYCH: (Talking Ukrainian).

KAKISSIS: He stated he fearful what his household would consider him, that possibly that they had forgotten him after a lot time aside.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Talking Ukrainian).

KAKISSIS: And his spouse stated, “Honey, do not ever suppose that.” After which she and her two daughters simply rushed to encircle him on this group hug, and so they wiped away his blissful tears and theirs, too.

SIMON: NPR’s Joanna Kakissis in northern Ukraine. Thanks a lot.

KAKISSIS: You are welcome.

Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.

Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts might fluctuate. Transcript textual content could also be revised to right errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its authentic broadcast or publication. The authoritative document of NPR’s programming is the audio document.