Authorities in Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday confirmed the release of 50 prisoners of war held by the two warring sides on the nine-month anniversary of the Russian invasion.
According to the head of the cabinet of the Ukrainian presidency, Andrii Yermak, Russia has released 20 members of the National Guard, 12 from the Navy, 10 soldiers from the Armed Forces, six from the Border Guard and two from the Territorial Defense Forces.
The same official said that among the soldiers returning to Ukraine are at least 19 defenders of the city of Mariupol, the scene of fierce fighting during the first weeks of the war, and another 15 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the official news agency said. . Ukrainian form.
In turn, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed this information and assured that the soldiers returning to Russian territory were in “danger of death” in Ukrainian custody.
Although the prospects of a negotiated settlement to the conflict still seem distant, Kiev and Moscow have exchanged several prisoners since the start of the war.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24 has already led to the flight of more than 13 million people, more than six million internally displaced people and more than 7.8 million to European countries, according to the latest UN data. to land. , which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and Russia to impose political and economic sanctions.
The UN presented 6,595 civilian deaths and 10,189 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, underlining that these numbers are well below the real ones.
Source: DN
