Ukraine on Saturday hailed the return of 45 Azov battalion fighters captured through the battle for Mariupol whereas Russia mentioned three of its pilots had been launched by Kyiv, however neither facet gave a full account of the obvious prisoner swap.
The freed Ukrainian prisoners included 42 males and three girls from the Azov battalion, mentioned Andriy Yermak, the top of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s workplace.
Azov battalion fighters, who did a lot of the combating within the failed defence of the port metropolis of Mariupol, have been lionized as heroes by many Ukrainians however are broadly vilified in Russia.
“Excellent news on this sunny day. We are returning home 45 of our people. Thirty-five privates and sergeants, 10 officers,” Yermak mentioned on the telegram app in a submit that didn’t point out the discharge of Russian prisoners.
The Russian Defence Ministry mentioned in an announcement that three pilots had been returned and had been being supplied with medical and psychological help.
“As a result of a difficult negotiation process, three Russian pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who had been in mortal danger while in captivity, were returned from Kyiv-controlled territory,” mentioned the assertion, which didn’t point out the 45 Ukrainian prisoners. There had been no experiences on Russian state media of further Russian prisoner releases.
Ukraine’s army intelligence company, which coordinates prisoner exchanges with Russia, didn’t instantly reply to a request for extra particulars.
Moscow and Kyiv have agreed a quantity prisoner exchanges since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February final 12 months.
Russia says it launched its “special military operation” to counter a risk from Kyiv’s relations with the West, whereas Ukraine and its Western companions say it was an unprovoked land seize.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
