24 Mar 2022 18:33

Ukraine announces first proper POWs exchange with Russia

KYIV. March 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war (POWs) on Thursday, March 24, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, Iryna Vereshchuk, said.

"The first proper exchange of POWs has taken place today at the behest of President Zelensky. In exchange for ten captives (...) we pulled out ten of our servicemen," Vereshchuk said on social media.

In addition, eleven Russian civilian sailors, who had been rescued from a ship which sank off Odesa, were exchanged for 19 Ukrainian civilian sailors from the Sapphire rescue vessel, who had been captured while trying to collect Ukrainian servicemen from Snake Island.

Under the terms of the exchange, the rescue ship will also be returned to Ukraine and sent to a Turkish port.