Devendra Kumar
Russia and Ukraine have successfully exchanged 195 prisoners of war, according to a statement released by Russia’s defense ministry on Wednesday. This comes after a tragic event last week when a military transport plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war was shot down, killing all 74 people on board. The incident occurred in Russia’s Belgorod region and came just days before the planned prisoner swap was set to take place.
Russia had accused Ukrainian forces of shooting down the plane, claiming that 65 Ukrainian prisoners were on board. However, Ukrainian officials denied any involvement and said they had seen no evidence to support Russia’s claims. The incident led some Russian officials to question the possibility of future prisoner swaps, while Ukrainian officials continued to work towards releasing more prisoners.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that 207 Ukrainians had been freed in the exchange, which is in addition to the 195 prisoners of war exchanged by Russia and Ukraine. Among those released are members of the armed forces, national guard, border service, and national police. According to Andrii Yermak, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, some of the released prisoners were captured while defending key locations such as Mariupol, Azovstal, and Snake Island.
Russia’s defense ministry also released a statement, saying that the Russian prisoners of war “faced deadly danger in captivity” and will be flown to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation. However, it did not provide any further details or evidence to support this claim.
The exchange is seen as a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and is a crucial step towards releasing more prisoners and reuniting families. Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy tweeted about the release, saying “We remember each Ukrainian in captivity. Both warriors and civilians. We must bring all of them back. We are working on it.” This sentiment is echoed by Ukraine’s continuing efforts to free those held captive, and highlights the importance of reuniting families and bringing an end to the conflict.