Kyiv:
Ukraine and Russia stated Wednesday that they had exchanged over 200 captive troopers every, in what officers have described as the most important prisoner swap of the struggle up to now.
The 2 warring sides have carried out dozens of exchanges since Moscow invaded in February 2022, however the course of stalled within the latter half of final 12 months.
In close to simultaneous statements, Russia and Ukraine introduced that they had obtained over 200 troopers every following talks mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
“More than 200 of our soldiers and civilians have been returned from Russian captivity,” Zelensky stated on Telegram, posting a video of uniformed males celebrating.
Neither facet had introduced an trade in nearly 5 months, prompting Kyiv to accuse Moscow of intentionally blocking offers for political causes.
“There was a long pause in the exchanges, but there was no pause in the negotiations,” Zelensky stated in a later message, hailing the swap as “good news”.
Moscow’s defence ministry stated 248 of its servicemen had been returned, and that they had been being supplied with “medical and psychological assistance”.
The UAE stated the deal mirrored its “strong friendly relations” with each Russia and Ukraine.
Neither facet discloses what number of prisoners are of their custody.
– Frontline strikes –
The announcement got here as Russia continued to strike frontline areas of Ukraine, killing three folks and wounding at the very least one, native officers stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed earlier this week to accentuate strikes on the nation following an unprecedented assault on the Russian metropolis of Belgorod over the weekend.
“Today, at around 11 am (0900 GMT), Russians struck the city of Avdiivka with four missiles,” Donetsk regional head Vadym Filashkin stated in a Telegram message.
“A 51-year-old man died on the spot,” he stated, including {that a} 50-year-old girl was wounded and brought to hospital.
Avdiivka lies near the Russian-controlled stronghold of Donetsk and has been the main focus of intense combating for months.
Russian shelling additionally killed two folks in villages on the Ukrainian-controlled western financial institution of the Dnipro River in Kherson area, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin stated.
With the struggle nearing its second anniversary, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged his Western allies to maintain up assist amid intensified Russian assaults.
Russian forces launched a wave of air strikes on Ukrainian cities final Friday, killing 53 folks, together with 30 within the capital Kyiv, authorities stated in an up to date toll Wednesday.
Moscow has in the meantime continued an offensive close to Bakhmut and Avdiivka on the jap entrance, in addition to Kupiansk within the northeast, Ukrainian military officers stated.
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