Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) pose for a picture after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an unknown location, Ukraine, in this handout picture released February 16, 2023. Head of Ukraine's Presidential Office Andriy Yermak via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 101 prisoners of war in their latest prisoner swap on Thursday, their authorities said.
"Aircraft of the military transport aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces will deliver the released servicemen to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Defence Ministry," the Russian ministry said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff posted images of scores of Ukrainian servicemen posing for a photograph after being released.
A still image from video, released by Russia's Defence Ministry, shows what it said to be captured Russian service personnel near buses following the latest exchange of prisoners of war at an unknown location in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in this image taken from handout footage released February 16, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
He said 100 troops and one civilian had been returned.
Nearly all had been defending the besieged southern city of Mariupol before it fell to Russian forces, Andriy Yermak said on Telegram.
Earlier this month, Zelenskiy said that since the start of the conflict last February, Ukraine had secured the release of 1,762 men and women from Russian captivity.
A still image from video, released by Russia's Defence Ministry, shows what it said to be captured Russian service personnel in a bus following the latest exchange of prisoners of war at an unknown location in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in this image taken from handout footage released February 16, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Additional reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Editing by Alison Williams and Hugh Lawson)
A still image from video, released by Russia's Defence Ministry, shows what it said to be captured Russian service personnel in a bus following the latest exchange of prisoners of war at an unknown location in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, in this image taken from handout footage released February 16, 2023. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
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