Ukraine live briefing: Russian lawmakers approve annexation of Ukrainian regions; Lyman retreat buoys Kyiv

The nearly 300-person swap, the largest exchange of prisoners since the war started in February, involved the release of 215 Ukrainians, 55 Russians, a Putin confidant and 10 foreign nationals, including two Americans.

The lopsided numbers in the exchange — almost four times as many Ukrainians released as Russians, John Hudson and Isabelle Khurshudyan report — and the type of Ukrainian soldiers involved, 108 from the Azov Regiment, concerned Russia’s Federal Security Service, the officials said. “The FSB was completely against it,” said a senior Ukrainian official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. “They realized the consequences of how the deal would look to the public.”