Russia on Saturday handed over 45 Ukrainian soldiers captured last year in the “Battle of Azovstal” during the siege of Mariupol, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.
“Today our team managed to recover 45 of our warriors from Russian captivity. 42 male defenders from Ukraine and three female defenders. All defended Azovstal. National Guard. 35 soldiers and sergeants, 10 officers,” Zelensky said in his usual late-night speech, showing “thankfulness” to the team involved in the prisoner exchange.
Three Russian Air and Space Force pilots detained in Ukraine have been returned to Russia in a statement, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
“As a result of a complicated negotiation process, three Russian soldiers, pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who were in captivity at the risk of their lives, were returned from the area controlled by the regime in Kiev”said the ministry.
Mariupol was destroyed in the spring of 2022 during a siege led by the Russian army against Ukrainian soldiers, who had been holed up in the huge factory complex of Azovstal for several weeks.
The strategic port of Mariupol was taken by Russian forces in May after a siege lasting more than two months that devastated much of the city, destroying many apartment buildings, schools and shops.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14.6 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 8.1 million to European countries – according to the latest data from the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
At least 18 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million need food aid and shelter.
The Russian invasion – justified by 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 arms to Ukraine and imposing political and political sanctions. put to Russia.
The UN presented 8,709 civilian deaths and 14,666 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, underlining that these numbers are well below the real ones.
Source: DN
