Russia, Ukraine exchange prisoners of war
Jul 06, 2023
Kyiv [Ukraine], July 6 : Ukraine and Russia exchanged more prisoners of war, both sides announced on Thursday, according to CNN. This is the 47th prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine since the war began, according to Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament commissioner for human rights.
Regarding the swap of prisoners, the head of the office of the Ukrainian President said on Telegram on Thursday, "We managed to bring home 45 soldiers from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service and two civilians."
"Among them are two officers, 41 privates and sergeants, a civilian employee of Azovstal and a self-defense unit member from Kherson," he said, according to CNN.
Further, Yermak said, "We are bringing back the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal. There are wounded servicemen. There are also military men from Donetsk, including Bakhmut, Zaporizhzhya and Kharkiv directions."
"Each of them is a hero."
According to CNN, the swap was also announced by the Russian Ministry of Defence, which added that those who were released had received the necessary medical and psychological care.
According to Dmytro Lubinets, the commissioner for human rights in the Ukrainian Parliament, this is the 47th prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine since the war started, CNN reported.
On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine which has displaced several people from the country and countable lives have been claimed as a result of the war.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to remain tense even now as at least four people were killed and dozens of homes were destroyed after a Russian missile hit Ukraine's Lviv city, the New York Times reported citing the Kyiv administration on Thursday.
According to officials, this is the biggest attack on the western Ukrainian city since the crisis began more than 16 months ago.
The authorities said the ages of the victims ranged from 21-95 and also warned that some people might still be trapped under the rubbles. In addition to this, more than 30 people were wounded in the pre-dawn strike in Lviv.
