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This was the 59th prisoner change for the reason that full-scale invasion started and one of the most important to date.
On the Ukrainian facet, these launched included troopers, border guards, Nationwide Guardsmen and Navy servicemen. Many had been in captivity for greater than two-and-a-half years, and Ukrainian officers stated some had returned with severe diseases and accidents.
For some households, the agonising uncertainty has come to an finish. However 1000’s extra Ukrainians stay in captivity in Russia and occupied elements of Ukraine.
Officers in Kyiv advised the BBC that negotiations about prisoner exchanges have turn into tougher in current months – ever since Russian forces started to make important advances on the battlefield.
Ukraine doesn’t publish numbers of prisoners of war being held by Russia, however the whole is regarded as greater than 8,000.
Denys Prokopenko, commander of Ukraine’s twelfth Particular Forces Azov Brigade that defended Mariupol’s Azovstal metal plant earlier than it was captured by Russian forces, stated on X, external that 11 of the brigade’s males have been returned within the swap.
Prokopenko was launched in a prisoner swap in 2022.
