Russia has returned 116 prisoners of battle to Ukraine as a part of the most recent prisoner change between the 2 international locations, in keeping with a senior Ukrainian official.
Head of the Workplace of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak posted on Telegram Saturday to announce that “one other giant change of prisoners” had taken place.
This follows studies from Russia state media earlier Saturday that Ukraine had returned 63 Russian POWs after a “tough negotiation course of.”
“We managed to return 116 of our males, defenders of Mariupol, Kherson partisans, snipers from the Bakhmut sector and different heroes,” Yermak stated within the Telegram put up.
Ukraine additionally secured the “return the our bodies of international volunteers” Christopher Parry and Andrew Bagshaw, in keeping with Yermak.
Parry and Bagshaw, each British nationals, have been killed a throughout a humanitarian mission in Soledar in japanese Ukraine, in keeping with an announcement from the Parry household on Jan. 24.
Yermak stated that Ukraine additionally recovered the physique of Yevhen Kulyk, a Ukrainian volunteer soldier “who served within the French Overseas Legion and returned to defend Ukraine” after the Russian invasion started.
Russian state information company RIA Novosti, citing the Russian Protection Ministry, reported Saturday that the 63 “launched Russian servicemen consists of individuals of a ‘delicate class’ whose change was facilitated by the mediation efforts of the United Arab Emirates management.”
The troopers are again on Russian territory and are “being supplied with all crucial psychological and medical help” and the prospect to contact family members, RIA Novosti added.
Some background: On Jan. 8, 100 troopers were returned to their respective dwelling international locations as part of a prisoner change carried out by Russia and Ukraine. On the time, Yermak promised that it might not be “the final change,” outlining Ukraine’s dedication to returning “all our individuals.”
Uliana Pavlova and Denis Lapin contributed reporting to this put up.
