Pro-Russian troops are seen on an armoured vehicle with the symbols ‘Z’ painted on its sides in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol on Thursday
(Picture: REUTERS)Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners for the first time since the invasion.
Ukrainian deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said an exchange of troops took place following an order from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Writing on Facebook, she said: “In exchange for 10 captured occupiers, we rescued 10 of our servicemen.”
She added 11 Russian civilian seamen rescued near the Black Sea port city of Odesa were also exchanged for 19 Ukrainian civilian ship crew members held by Moscow.
Earlier this week, Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow had completed two prisoner swaps.
Russia’s human rights ombudsman, Tatiana Moskalkov, said nine Russian prisoners were exchanged for the mayor of the southeastern city of Melitopol.
Ms Vereshchuk confirmed the Melitopol swap on Wednesday but denied any others had taken place.
The announcement comes after Ukraine said more than 400,000 of its citizens have been forcibly taken to Russia.
Ukrainian Ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova said at a briefing the Ukrainians were taken by Russian troops from Mariupol and other besieged cities, and include 84,000 children.
Donetsk Region Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko also said Russians are taking Ukrainians’ passports and putting them in filtration camps where Russian FSB counterintelligence agency officers conduct security checks before moving them into Russia.
Russian officials reported more than 384,000 Ukrainians had voluntarily traveled to Russia where they were being offered accommodation and money.
