Russia and Ukraine said Tuesday they exchanged 60 POWs from both sides in the latest in a series of exchanges.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the 60 released Russian soldiers will be taken to Moscow for medical care and psychological support.
In a video shared by the ministry, it was seen that men in military clothes got off the bus and made a phone call. One man said, “It’s all right, alive and well. I’ll be home soon.”
Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff of the Ukrainian presidency, hailed the returning Ukrainians as heroes and said there were dozens of people who resisted in the city of Mariupol, including the besieged Azovstal steelworks, until Russia forced them to surrender in May.
“We continue to return defenders from Mariupol – there are 34 on today’s ’60-person list’, 14 of them from Azovstal. Some were injured and will receive all necessary assistance in Ukraine,” Yermak said.
He said some of those released were held on Russian soil, while others were held in Olenivka, a prisoner-of-war camp in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Donetsk region.
In July, Ukraine accused Russia of committing war crimes in connection with an attack in Olenivka that killed dozens of prisoners. Russia said Ukraine opened fire on the field.
The two sides have exchanged hundreds of prisoners in a series of exchanges in recent months.
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.