In a prisoner exchange held from May 23 to 25, Russia sent Ukraine 65 prisoners who were set to be deported to Ukraine regardless of the swap, Suspilne reported on May 30.

Ukraine and Russia held a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange from May 23 to 25 after previously agreeing to the exchange at peace talks on May 16. Aside from yielding a prisoner exchange, the peace negotiations in Istanbul were largely inconclusive.

The majority of those exchanged were prisoners of war in Russia's war against Ukraine. 880 of 1,000 were military personnel. 120 of those returned were civilians held in Russian captivity, 65 of whom were set to be deported to Ukraine regardless of the prisoner exchange.

15 of the prisoners were serving sentences. Meanwhile, 50 of the exchanged prisoners were indefinitely held in detention facilities for foreigners not permitted to stay in Russia, awaiting deportation to Ukraine, Suspilne reported.

While in captivity, the prisoners were offered freedom and Russian citizenship if they fought on behalf of Russia in its war against Ukraine.

"We were lucky. But it would have been better if the guys who fought had been given up instead of us," one of the released prisoners said.

Many of the released prisoners were returned to Ukraine without their legal documents, including passports.

Russia regularly convicts people of politically motivated charges in an effort to silence opposition to its war against Ukraine.

On April 18, a court in St. Petersburg sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to two years and eight months in a penal colony for allegedly "discrediting" the Russian army.

Kozyreva was arrested on Feb. 24, 2024, after she affixed a verse from Taras Shevchenko’s "My Testament" to his statue in St. Petersburg.

Another case was filed against her in August after she gave an interview to Radio Free Europe in which she denounced Russia’s war in Ukraine as "monstrous" and "criminal."

Ukraine watches closely as Poland faces polarizing presidential run-off

Poland’s presidential race has never seen a first-round winner with so many reasons to worry, the far right so emboldened, and Ukraine so central to the campaign. The June 1 run-off between Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski of the ruling Civic Platform (PO) and Karol Nawrocki, backed by Law and

The Kyiv IndependentAleksander Palikot

Leader of the Georgian opposition party "Coalition for Change," Nika Melia, was detained by authorities on May 29, NewsGeorgia reported, citing Melia's associates.

Melia is being investigated for refusing to testify before a parliamentary committee probing former President Mikheil Saakashvili's time in power.

The opposition leader was arrested just before he was scheduled to appear on a television show, Melia's associates said.

"I do not know what his detention was connected with. In fact, he was kidnapped. They acted aggressively and without explanation," Melia's lawyer, Georgy Kondakhashvili, claimed.

The ruling "Georgian Dream" party has tightened its grip on power, passing a foreign agents law similar to Russia's. Mass protests erupted in Georgia in 2023 and 2024 in response to moves by authorities, which have isolated the country from the West.

Many opposition figures have not recognized Georgia's ruling party, following disputed parliamentary elections in December 2024.

Melia's commission hearing was postponed from May 29 to May 30, he has refused to attend the proceeding thus far.

Kondakhashvili claims there are no legal grounds for Melia's arrest and says the charges were likely fabricated to forcibly bring the opposition leader to the hearing he has boycotted.

Melia does not view the parliament and commission led by the "Georgian Dream" party as legitimate, and in late April, refused to pay a bail of 50,000 lari ($18,200), NewsGeorgia reported.

Georgia's accession to the EU has been suspended due to the actions of the ruling authorities since the spring of 2024, the European Commission said in October.

Georgia applied for EU candidate status in March 2022, following Ukraine, which applied in February 2022.

‘No one has seen it yet’ — Zelensky slams Russia for stalling on ceasefire memorandum ahead of Istanbul talks

“The so-called memorandum they promised and claimed to be preparing for more than a week — no one has seen it,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir