On Sunday, January 8, as a result of a prisoner exchange with Ukraine, 50 Russian soldiers who had been imprisoned were released, informed the Ministry of Defense, while Kiev confirmed that it had received 50 servicemen.
The exchange was the first in 2023. The previous one, according to the Defense Ministry, took place on December 31 last year. Then, 82 Russian servicemen returned from Ukrainian captivity.
“The released military personnel will be delivered to Moscow by aircraft of the military transport aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Defense Ministry,” the message reads.
The release of the servicemen was the result of intensive negotiations held in recent days between Moscow and Kiev, the ministry said.
The exchange of prisoners with Russia was confirmed in Kiev. The head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, announced the return of 50 Ukrainian soldiers. According to him, among them there are 33 officers, as well as 17 privates and sergeants.
Yermak clarified that Ukraine received prisoners at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as well as in Mariupol, near Bakhmut (Artemovsk), in the Kiev, Chernihiv and Kherson regions, as well as in other regions.
Since the beginning of the Russian “special military operation” in February last year, several thousand prisoners from both sides have been exchanged.
