Russia and Ukraine announce an unexpected exchange of nearly 300 prisoners | Ukraine and Russia
2 min readRussia And the Ukraine An unexpected prisoner exchange took place on Wednesday, the largest since the war began, and involved about 300 people, including 10 foreigners and commanders who led Ukraine’s long defense campaign in the city of Mariupol earlier this year.
Among the foreigners released are two Britons and a Moroccan who were sentenced to death in June after they were caught fighting for Ukraine. Three other Britons, two Americans, a Croatian and a Swede were also released.
The timing and scale of the exchange came as a surprise, as Russian President Russian President Vladimir PutinA partial deployment of troops was announced earlier today, in a clear escalation of the conflict. In August, pro-Russia They said that the leaders of Mariupol will be tried.
president UkraineAnd the Volodymyr ZelenskyHe said the exchange, which included help from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, had been in the works for a long time and involved intense negotiations. Under the terms of the deal, 215 Ukrainians were released (most of them were captured after the fall of Mariupol).
In contrast, the Ukraine He brought back 55 pro-Moscow Russians and Ukrainians, as well as Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of a pro-Moscow party.Russia who was banned and faced accusations of treason.
“This is clearly a victory for our country and for our entire society. The main thing is that 215 families can see their loved ones safely and at home,” Zelensky said in a video speech.
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