Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war on Thursday, officials from both countries said, the latest round of swaps under an agreement struck in Istanbul.

Such claims by the enemy are “a lie,” according to Andriy Yusov. “A lie that is deliberately spread with the intent to sow panic and despair within Ukrainian society,” the representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) said.

Since then, Russia and Ukraine have swapped dozens of prisoners of war, focusing on under-25s and the severely wounded and sick. There are hopes they could build into some of the biggest exchanges in the war that was triggered by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.