Exchange of prisoners Russia-Ukraine, on Independence Day. Among them are the former mayor of Herson
Ukraine has brought home a new group of soldiers and civilians from Russian captivity on August 24, on Independence Day of the country, announced President Volodimir Zelenski, reports Ukrainska Pravda.
Former mayor of Herson, among the prisoners of war released
The announcement comes after a number of other exchanges made in recent weeks, following an agreement between Kiev and Moscow during the second round of peace negotiations in Istanbul, on June 2.
“Today, our people return home: soldiers of the armed forces, the National Guard, the Border and Civil Service. Most of them are in captivity in 2022,” Zelenski wrote on Telegram.
Ukraine did not announce the number of people issued, but the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of War Prisoners (POW) said there are eight civilians, including Ukrainian journalists Dmitro Hiliuk and Mark Kaliuș, as well as the former mayor of Herson, Volodimir Mikolaienko.
Hiliuk, a journalist at the Unian News Agency, was abducted with his father in their house in the Kiev region in March 2022.
Moscow announces an exchange of 146 prisoners on each side
Earlier during the day, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Ukraine brought back 146 of its prisoners of war and released the same number of prisoners of Ukrainian war.
According to the Coordination Headquarters, among the Ukrainian soldiers, representatives of almost all defense forces, including air assault, air forces, navy, as well as territorial defense, National Guard and State Border Guard services.
According to the report, they participated in the defense of the regions Mariupol, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkov, Zapuijie, Herson, Mikolaiv, Kiev and Sumi. Some of them were captured in the territories occupied by Russia, but also in Crimea.
Among the issued civilians are the doctor Serhii Kovalov from the hospitable medical battalion, “who saved the lives of both defenders and civilians during the siege of the Azovstal Otelia in Mariupol”, in the spring of 2022, the Coordination Headquarters reported.
“The exchanges are in progress. And this is probably possible due to our soldiers, who complete the Ukraine exchange spare; our team, who works daily; and our partners, who offer assistance,” says Zelenski.
The previous exchange of prisoners of war, which ensured the return of 84 Ukrainians, took place on August 14, just a day before US President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15. Trump then met President Volodimir Zelenski, along with European leaders, at the White House, a few days later.
The peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia from the beginning of this year have not been able to make progress in cessation of hostilities, but new agreements on the exchange of prisoners have been concluded.
Zelenski announced earlier this month that Ukraine and Russia are preparing to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war in accordance with the third round of Istanbul peace negotiations on July 23.
At the end of July that Kiev obtained the release of over 6,400 Ukrainians from Russian captivity, of which 5,857 were released during prisoners' exchanges.
