The Russian and Ukrainian governments have announced the exchange of 107 prisoners each. The swap took place on Thursday.
“Today we are returning 107 of our fighters from Ukrainian dungeons,” pro-Moscow leader Denis Pushilin said on Telegram, adding that 65 of those were from eastern Ukraine’s separatist territories.
“We will give back the same amount of prisoners to Ukraine,” Pushilin said.
The released will be sent to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation, according to the Russian ministry of defense.
Andriy Yermak, the presidential chief of staff of Ukraine, stated that 107 personnel had arrived in Kyiv.
A total of 74 soldiers defended the steelwork known as Azovstal in the port of Mariupol, which became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance during Moscow’s offensive.
In April, Russia took control of most of Mariupol after a weeks-long siege. However, hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were still hiding in the underground tunnels of the Azovstal steelwork.
On May 9th, after a long and valiant effort, the Azovstal soldiers surrendered to the enemy. Their bravery in the face of overwhelming odds has earned them the praise and admiration of people across Ukraine.
