The swap took place just days after U.S. and U.K. diplomats began raising the issue of allowing Ukraine to target Russia with Western-supplied long-range weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by claiming that such actions would mean the West had entered the war, though the Polish prime minister said, "I would not attach excessive importance to the latest statements from President Putin."

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that both sides transferred an equal number of prisoners.

Ukrainian military intelligence, HUR, facilitated the handover of Russian prisoners who arrived by bus at the border, while ambulances were on standby to receive Ukrainian detainees.

HUR spokesman Andriy Yusov said that the Russian prisoners were members of the “enemy army” but did not specify where they had been captured.

He said that Russia often disregards international humanitarian law and Geneva Convention regulations during the discussions, making the exchanges highly complex.

Yusov added that Ukraine cannot rely on international institutions for support in prisoner exchange talks.

“These talks are ongoing, regardless of the situation or how sharp public statements may be. Work on further exchanges is continuously underway,” he said.