Russia, Ukraine swap prisoners of war 

Russia and Ukraine have carried out the latest in a series of prisoner-of-war (POW) exchanges with both sides handing over 50 people.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, said on Telegram that Ukraine received 48 soldiers and two officers, among them marines, infantrymen, border guards and members of the territorial defense,

“We have managed to bring back 19 defenders of Mariupol … as well as 15 prisoners (of war) from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and seven from Zmiiny Island,” Yermak said.

Also Read: Ukraine ready to exchange prisoners with Russia

Russia’s defense ministry said Ukraine had released 50 Russian soldiers who had been captured.

Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-backed head of the part of Ukraine’s Donetsk region that is under Russian control, said earlier that a prisoner swap with Kyiv was taking place, involving 50 prisoners on each side.

Kyiv and Moscow have so far swapped over 1,000 prisoners of war since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine in February.

Zainab Sa’id