Russia and Ukraine exchange 205 prisoners of war each

Russia and Ukraine swapped 205 prisoners of war each in an exchange mediated by the United Arab Emirates, both sides say.

"Today, Ukraine has brought back 205 warriors," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram app, thanking the UAE for their help.

Russia's human rights ombudsman Tatiana Moskalkova thanked Russia's defence ministry and other agencies involved.

"For many families, today has become a celebration of reunification - anxiety and uncertainty have given way to the joy of a loved one returning home," she said.

Ukraine's prisoners of war affairs said the returned prisoners consisted of 202 enlisted men and three officers from various parts of the military and national guard.

It said today's swap was the fifth this year and the 64th of the entire war, which has run for more than 38 months.

Among those freed were three Ukrainian officers and 202 soldiers and sergeants, according to reports.

The freed Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom defended key areas such as Mariupol and the front lines, are now back in Ukraine after months in captivity.

Meanwhile, one man was killed and another injured in a Russian air strike on civilian infrastructure in the southern region of Odessa, the regional prosecutor's office said, shortly before the start of a 72-hour ceasefire ordered by the Kremlin.

Two people were also injured in a massive drone attack on the city of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

A Russian missile attack on the north-eastern city of Sumy near the Russian border killed at least three people, Ukraine's regional military administration said. Eight others were injured, including several minors.

Some 200 battles were recorded in Ukraine over the last day, the Kiev General Staff wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.

It said particularly heavy fighting occurred in the area around the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, where defenders had repelled 78 attacks by the Russian army.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said 105 Ukrainian drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions during the night - 19 of them over the Moscow region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a unilateral ceasefire to coincide with Russia's anniversary commemorations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, which are to be attended by several foreign dignitaries.

The ceasefire is scheduled to run from midnight Wednesday-Thursday in Moscow to midnight Saturday-Sunday.

Kyiv has rejected the limited pause and demanded that the ceasefire be extended to 30 days.

"The Russians are asking for a ceasefire on May 9 and are themselves firing at Ukraine every day. This is cynicism of the highest order," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram on Sunday.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years. As part of its defensive campaign, it has also been attacking targets in Russia, resulting in deaths and injuries.

The casualties and damage are dwarfed by the devastating consequences of the conflict on the Ukrainian side.

with DPA