Irina Vereshchuk
(Photo: president.gov.ua)
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk said that on Thursday the “first full-fledged” exchange of prisoners of war with Russia took place under the “10 for 10” scheme, that is, ten captured Russian soldiers were exchanged for the same number of Ukrainian ones. About this she wrote in Telegram.
In addition, according to Vereshchuk, Ukraine handed over 11 civilian sailors to Russia, who were “rescued from a flooded ship near Odessa.” Russia, in turn, sent 19 civilian sailors to Ukraine from the Sapphire rescue vessel. The Deputy Prime Minister explained that they were taken prisoner while trying to pick up Ukrainian border guards from Zmiyiny Island. Under the terms of the exchange, Sapphire will also be returned to Ukraine.
RBC asked the press service of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia for a comment.
The Russian side previously reported that Moscow and Kyiv had already held two exchanges of prisoners.
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