Ukraine, Russia swap more POWs

Ukraine and Russia swapped 50 captured soldiers each on Sunday in their latest prisoner-of-war exchange deal, news agencies reported.

Andriy Yermak

Photo: U.S. Institute of Peace, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak said on the Telegram messaging service: "Another successful prisoner-of-war swap. We returned 50 service members home."

Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak said that 50 Ukrainian defenders were exchanged from captivity. Earlier, Russians said they had returned 50 of their own.

Thus, there was an exchange of prisoners in the 50 to 50 format. pic.twitter.com/U20ip30l8u

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 8, 2023

He added, as quoted by state news agency Ukrinform: "Our task is to return all our people, and we will fulfill it."

Yermak posted images of the freed Ukrainian soldiers.

Another successful POWs swap. 50 🇺🇦 soldiers are back.

To be continued. We must bring all our people home, and we are on it.

Thanks to the Coordinating Staff for the POWs Treatment for their excellent work. pic.twitter.com/I4LUp0rKCl

— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) January 8, 2023

Ukraine returns 50 more soldiers in the latest POW exchange

President's Office says those are 33 officers and 17 enlisted personnel of the Army, Territorial Defense, National Guard, Navy, SOF, and Border Guard Service.https://t.co/8aB2k91E9O
📷Andrii Yermak pic.twitter.com/3JhLCRpTBR

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) January 8, 2023

Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said in a statement that 50 Russian servicemen "returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime" on Sunday "as a result of negotiations," the Reuters news agency reported.

The Russian defence ministry added that the soldiers would be flown to Moscow for medical and psychological rehabilitation, according to Reuters.

Monday is day 320 of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, ukrinform.net