Ukraine and Russia complete first prisoner swap since plane crash

On January 31, 2024, 10:21 PM

Russia and Ukraine say they have exchanged captured soldiers – the first such swap since the crash of a Russian plane that Moscow claimed had 65 prisoners of war (PoWs) on board.

Russia’s military says each side got 195 soldiers back on Wednesday.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says 207 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were returned.

Kyiv questions Moscow’s claims that Ukrainian PoWs were on the plane that was downed last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Wednesday that the Il-76 military transport plane had been downed by an American Patriot system in the western Belgorod region.

The Russian military earlier claimed that 65 Ukrainian soldiers had been on the plane heading to the area for a prisoner exchange.

Six Russian crew members and three officials escorting the PoWs were also on board, the military said, adding that there were no survivors.

Moscow blames Ukraine for bringing down the plane, which Kyiv has neither confirmed or denied.

None of the details surrounding those on board has been independently verified and both sides have called for an international investigation.

In a brief statement on Wednesday, the Russian defence ministry said the latest prisoner exchange was completed after negotiations with Kyiv.

“The released military personnel will be transported by military transport aircraft… to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation,” it said.

“All those released are provided with the necessary medical and psychological assistance,” the statement said, adding that the United Arab Emirates was involved in the negotiations.

Footage released by the ministry purportedly shows those exchanged Russian soldiers boarding a bus before their flight to Moscow.

President Zelensky wrote in a post on social media: “Our people are back. 207 of them. We return them home no matter what.

“We remember every Ukrainian in captivity. Both warriors and civilians. We must bring all of them back,” he said, thanking Ukraine’s top security officials for making the latest exchange possible.

A video filmed by the Ukrainian authorities shows the released men tumbling off buses with shouts of “Glory to Ukraine!”

The men are wearing Russian prison uniforms – their heads are close-shaven – and many look very thin after months, or in some case up to two years in captivity. Some cry – as they talk to relatives by phone.

Mr Zelensky’s head of office Andriy Yermak said among those released were National Guard members, border guards as well as police officers.

It is the 50th PoW exchange since President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.