Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners despite plane crash last week

Russia and Ukraine said on Wednesday they had completed another large prisoner exchange despite the crash last week of a Russian military transport plane that Moscow says was carrying 65 Ukrainian soldiers ahead of a similar swap.

The two countries have carried out periodic prisoner swaps via intermediaries since the war began nearly two years ago, despite the absence of peace talks since the early months.

The Russian Defense Ministry said each side had received 195 soldiers, while Ukraine said it had got 207 people back.

The Russian Defense Ministry was cited by the RIA state news agency as saying that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had helped broker the deal, adding that its soldiers would be flown to Moscow for medical and psychological treatment.

"On January 31, as a result of the negotiation process, 195 Russian servicemen who were in mortal danger in captivity were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In return, exactly 195 prisoners from the armed forces of Ukraine were handed over," the defense ministry said in a statement.

 

Reuters