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Ukraine, Russia swap more prisoners

17.02.2023 01:00
Ukraine and Russia swapped 101 captured soldiers and civilians each on Thursday in their latest prisoner exchange deal, news outlets have reported.
Andriy Yermak
Andriy YermakPhoto: U.S. Institute of Peace, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak said on the Telegram messaging service: "We continue bringing Ukrainians back from captivity."

"Today a hundred of our warriors and one civilian are returning home," he added, as quoted by state news agency Ukrinform.

The group included "members of the National Guard, Border Guard officers and servicemen from the Armed Forces of Ukraine," according to Ukrinform.

"Ninety-four of them are the defenders of Mariupol, including 63 warriors from the Azovstal steelworks," it said.

The Nexta news service reported that the civilian released as a result of the "101-for-101" prisoner exchange--Ivan Samoydiuk, deputy mayor of the southern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar--had been in captivity for almost a year.

Yermak said that efforts were under way to secure the release of more prisoners of war from Russian captivity, according to Ukrinform.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Friday is day 359 of Russia's war against Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, Nexta, ukrinform.net