Business Standard
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 175 prisoners of war (PoWs) each as the 32-hour Easter truce announced by the Kremlin began at 4 pm on Saturday. President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared the 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend. According to his order, Russian forces are to observe the ceasefire starting 4 pm (local time) Saturday till the end of Sunday along the almost 1,300 kms long front in east Ukraine. Apart from the 175 PoWs exchanged by both sides, Ukraine has also released seven Russian civilians, earlier taken hostage from the western region of Kursk, Russian ombudswoman Tatiana Maskalkova told Rossia 24 state TV. The state TV also added that after more than an hour after its beginning, the truce was holding. However, the Russian troops have been ordered to be on standby and ready to repulse any "provocation" by the Ukrainian side. Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter according to the Julian Calendar, which this year falls on April 12.
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