Russia and Ukraine begin prisoner exchange in landmark deal

Russia and Ukraine have begun a major prisoner exchange in a move that is expected to ease tensions between Kiev and Moscow and pave the way for serious negotiations over a years-long conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Busses from a Russian prison headed towards a Moscow airport "within the framework of preparations,” said Russian TV on Saturday, adding that planes flew to Kiev and Moscow.

Witnesses also said two busses with tinted windows and a police escort left a Moscow jail on Saturday.

The buses were carrying an undisclosed number of people, Reuters reported.

Russian President, Vladimir Putin, said on Thursday that he expected large numbers of prisoners to be exchanged.

It is unclear how many prisoners are to be exchanged as part of the deal.

President Putin also said that the prisoner swap would be "a good step forward towards the normalization (of relations)" with Kiev.

Russia's list is dominated by 24 Ukrainian sailors it detained off Crimea in November last year.

They were captured along with three naval ships amid “an invasion of Russian territorial waters,” Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said at the time.