Monitoring Desk
MOSCOW: Russia and Ukraine traded almost 200 prisoners of war in a swap, separately announced by both sides on Saturday. Russia also returned the bodies of two British volunteers to Ukraine.
Chief of staff of the Ukrainian president, Andriy Yermak, said 116 Ukrainians had been returned. Russian news agencies cited Moscow’s defense ministry that Ukraine has freed 63 Russian POWs.
“We managed release of 116 of our people, snipers from the Bakhmut (front), defenders of Mariupol, partisans from Kherson, and other heroes of ours,” Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram.
Bodies of British volunteers sent back to Ukraine
Yermak also said the dead bodies of British volunteer aid workers identified as Chris Parry and Andrew Bagshaw had been sent back to Ukraine.
Parry’s family has previously said that Parry and Bagshaw were killed during a humanitarian evacuation operation in eastern Ukraine in January.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the released Russian servicemen included “sensitive category” persons.
