Russia and Ukraine carried out prisoner swap on Wednesday (January 31) comprising hundreads of prisoners of war (PoW). The swap came just a week after Moscow claimed Ukraine’s bombardment caused a plane carrying Ukrainian soldiers which were being transferred for prisoner swap. Russia claimed previously that 65 Ukrainian POWs were killed.
In spite of differences between them, both Russia and Ukraine hailed the prisoner swap.
“Our people are back. 207 of them. We return them home no matter what,” Zelensky said in a social media post.
Russia’s defence ministry said “195 Russian servicemen… were returned home”.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) brokered the prisoner swap deal, said Russia. The UAE has played a role in similar such prisoner swaps in past.
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The youngest soldier to return to Ukraine was 20 while the oldest was 61. The Ukrainians who were freed included those who fought in battles in Mariupol and on Snake Island.
UN court rejects Ukraine’s ‘terror’ charge
The prisoner swap may have been a positive development for both, Ukraine and Russia but Ukraine suffered a blow on Wednesday when a United Nations court largely rejected Ukraine’s claim that Russia was financing “terrorism” in eastern Ukraine. But it held that MOscow had failed to investigate breaches.
Ukraine has often referred to Russia as a “terrorist state” for its support to pro-Russian separatist elements in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine had demanded that Russia compensate all civilians caught in the conflict between the two countries and also victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. The flight was shot down over eastern Ukraine in the year 2014.
(With inputs from agencies)
