Both sides confirm the exchange of about 200 prisoners each a week after Russian transport aircraft shot down near border

Russia and Ukraine have conducted a major prisoner-of-war exchange a week after a previous swap was prevented when a Russian Il-76 transport plane was shot down and exploded near the border between the two countries.

Both sides said about 200 prisoners each had been exchanged on Wednesday, although they disagreed about the exact figures.

“Our people are back, 207 of them,” Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, wrote. “We return them home no matter what.”

He published photos showing Ukrainian soldiers hugging, making telephone calls and crying after the swap. Many were holding yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags.

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  • @Burn_The_RightEnglish
    20•5 months ago

    As Ukraine celebrates their returning heroes, Russia will treat their returning Russians as criminals for allowing themselves to be captured. There is a stark, comic-book style contrast between the good guys and the bad guys.