Footage posted by Zelenskyy showed jubilant prisoners, many wrapped in Ukrainian flags, getting off buses and being reunited with loved ones at a location that was not disclosed for security reasons.

Russia and Ukraine each said Wednesday that 150 of their captured soldiers had been released in the latest prisoner-of-war exchange, one of the few ongoing areas of cooperation between the two countries amid nearly three years of war.

The Kremlin said contacts between the U.S. and Russia had taken place, the first time Moscow has hinted the two countries are discussing a potential plan to end fighting in Ukraine.