The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the exchange of prisoners according to the “195 for 195” scheme. The President of Ukraine announced the return of 207 people.
Among the liberated Ukrainians there are many defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, defenders of Zmeiny Island, reported yesterday, head of state Vladimir Zelensky on Telegram:
“Ours are at home. 207 guys. We are returning despite everything. We remember each and everyone in captivity. Soldiers and civilians. We must return everyone. We are working on this. Now – another great job by the Ukrainian team. Budanov, Ermak, Usov, Malysh, Klimenko – Well done!”
He thanked writes “Correspondent”, representatives of the heads of their administration, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who took part in organizing the exchange. Head of the Presidential Office Andrey Yermak clarified in Telegram that among the returned Ukrainians there are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State National Guard Service, the National Police – privates, sergeants and officers:
“Many defenders of Mariupol, military personnel who were on Azovstal, Snake Island, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Kharkov, Lugansk, Kherson and Sumy directions. This is the second big exchange after a long break. And we continue to work and fulfill the president’s task – to return everyone.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced an exchange of prisoners with Ukraine, during which 195 Russian military personnel were returned. “In exchange, exactly 195 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were transferred,” says a message distributed by the military department. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not specify where and how the exchange took place.
The prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was the first to be officially reported since the crash of an Il-76 plane in the Belgorod region on January 24. The Russian side claims that there were 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on the plane who were being transported for exchange. Everyone on board the plane died. The Russian authorities blamed the Ukrainian military for the plane crash. Representatives of the Ukrainian side confirmed the preparation of the exchange, but not the death of the prisoners, saying that they were checking information about what happened.
IN GUR reported that among exchanged prisoners there were no people allegedly on board the Il-76 aircraft, which fell in the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation on January 24.
In total, during the full-scale war with Russia, more than 3 thousand Ukrainians were released from captivity; yesterday the 50th prisoner exchange took place.
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