Ukrainian war, exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kiev

Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange. “We are bringing home 100 of our own: soldiers, sailors, border guards, national guards. Among them are defenders of Mariupol, Azovstal, Hostomel». The head of the Ukrainian office Andriy Yermak writes this in a message on Telegram. One hundred Ukrainians returned to their homeland after a prisoner exchange with Russia. Yermak described the exchange as “difficult” and expressed gratitude to the headquarters coordination team for their treatment of the POWs. The Ukrainian Coordinating Command for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said nearly half of the 80 men and 20 women who returned home “have serious injuries, illnesses or have been tortured”. According to Ukrainian news, one of the captive women is Valeriia Karpilenko, a border guard who helped defend the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Last May, she married a Ukrainian soldier in the steelworks’ basement as Russian forces surrounded the compound. Her husband was killed 3 days later.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said 106 Russian soldiers had been released from Ukrainian custody as part of a deal with Ukraine. The freed Russians were flown to Moscow on military aircraft for medical treatment and rehabilitation. These exchanges represent one of the few areas of cooperation between Ukraine and Russia. Since the beginning of the war, both sides have returned hundreds of soldiers to the other side and the bodies of fallen troops.

Source: IL Tempo

\