Russia, Ukraine alternate tons of of prisoners in largest launch of warfare | Russia-Ukraine warfare Information

Greater than 470 prisoners of warfare return residence on each side after the swap offers stalled within the latter half of 2023.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged tons of of prisoners of warfare within the largest single launch of captives since Russia’s invasion started in February 2022.

Ukrainian officers stated on Wednesday that 230 of its prisoners have been launched whereas Russia stated 248 of its troopers have been returned after mediation by the United Arab Emirates.

Whereas the 2 sides have gone by way of a number of exchanges throughout the warfare, swap offers stalled within the latter half of final yr. The newest alternate was the primary in nearly 5 months.

“Greater than 200 of our troopers and civilians have been returned from Russian captivity,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced in a submit on the Telegram messaging app that included a video of uniformed males celebrating.

Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, stated 230 Ukrainian prisoners, together with six civilians, had been launched, marking what he stated was the forty ninth alternate between the 2 sides.

Kyiv stated this was the most important documented swap of troops thus far.

A number of the Ukrainians had been held since 2022. Amongst them have been some who fought in milestone battles for Ukraine’s Snake Island and port metropolis of Mariupol.

The Russian Ministry of Defence stated 248 of its troopers had been returned after “complicated” negotiations by the UAE. Russian officers supplied no different particulars of the alternate.

Assaults on Belgorod

Additionally on Wednesday, Russia stated it shot down 12 missiles fired at considered one of its southern areas bordering Ukraine.

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod area, Vyacheslav Gladkov, stated the scenario “continues to stay tense” after Ukraine launched repeated missile and drone assaults.

Whereas there have been no studies on casualty numbers from the newest assault, Gladkov stated authorities have been evacuating residents close to probably unexploded munitions with bomb disposal items known as in to judge the hazard.

Defence Ministry technicians have been engaged on disposing of an unexploded projectile, and about 600 residents from 323 homes inside a 500-metre (550-yard) radius had been evacuated, he stated.

Gladkov added that a number of different villages additionally got here beneath hearth in Wednesday’s assault and an influence line was knocked out.

Russia’s Defence Ministry stated Ukraine fired six Tochka-U ballistic missiles and 6 guided missiles from a Vilkha heavy a number of rocket launcher.

Ukraine has escalated its assaults on Belgorod over the New Yr interval after Russia launched a few of its most vital assaults on Ukraine for the reason that warfare started.

On Tuesday, Kyiv stated Moscow had launched greater than 300 assault drones and missiles of varied varieties throughout Ukraine since Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised that Kyiv’s assaults on Belgorod would “not go unpunished”.