Seventy-six Ukrainians were released during a new prisoner exchange with Russia, Kyiv authorities said, but did not say how many Russians were transferred to Moscow, AFP reported citing BTA.
“We exchanged 60 servicemen, including 10 officers. 16 civilians also returned home,” Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk told Telegram. She said this was the fifth prisoner exchange with Russia.
The previous exchange took place on April 15 after tense talks in the Kherson region, according to Kyiv. The day before, 30 Ukrainians were fired, and another 26 were released earlier this month. On April 1, the President of Ukraine announced that he had exchanged 86 of his servicemen for Russian ones.
Yesterday, Ukrainian security services released a video of the detention in Ukraine of MP Viktor Medvedchuk, close to President Vladimir Putin. On the recording, the businessman and politician asks to be exchanged for soldiers and civilians from the besieged city of Mariupol. Russian television has shown a recording in which two Britons captured by Russian troops ask Prime Minister Boris Johnson to help agree on their release in exchange for Medvedchuk’s release.