Kiev/Moscow, Feb 1, (dpa/GNA) – Ukraine and Russia have once again, exchanged prisoners of war, despite the recent shooting down of a Russian transport plane, which Moscow said was carrying Ukrainian prisoners.
“Two hundred and seven of our people have returned to their native soil!” Ukrainian human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.
Since the Russian invasion, more than 3,000 Ukrainians have already been released as part of 50 exchanges.
According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 95 soldiers, 56 national guardsmen, 26 border guards, 29 territorial defence fighters and one police officer have now been released, making a total of 206.
They had been taken prisoner during the defence of Mariupol, Kherson and Snake Island, among other places.
The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the exchange. However, according to information from Moscow, 195 Russian soldiers were exchanged for 195 Ukrainian soldiers. The difference in numbers was not explained.
Ukraine has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion for almost two years.
Originally, an exchange of prisoners was planned for January 24. On that day, however, a Russian army transport plane was presumably shot down by Ukrainian air defences near the Russian city of Belgorod. Moscow declared that 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war had died in the crash.
Kiev subsequently questioned whether there were any Ukrainian prisoners of war on board, and called for an international investigation into the incident.
GNA