The Government of Ukraine today reported another exchange of prisoners with Russia, in which 19 Ukrainians were released, 10 of whom were military and the rest were civilians.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vershchuk announced the “liberation” of these citizens in the sixth prisoner exchange that has taken place since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, on February 24.
Among the freed Ukrainians there are wounded, Vershchuk said in his Telegran account, where he stressed the importance of getting their release, as this ensures that they will receive proper medical attention.
In a previous message, Vereshchuk demanded that Russia open a humanitarian corridor from the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol to evacuate civilians who were refugees there along with the wounded soldiers among Ukrainian resistance troops.
The Azovstal steel plant is, according to the Russians, the only enclave in Mariupol that resists its attacks. Ukrainian civilians and soldiers are still sheltering in its tunnels and facilities in subhuman conditions.
The rest of the city, on the shores of the Azov Sea, has been practically destroyed by Russian bombardments. City authorities estimate that about 100,000 civilians are still there.
PREVIOUS EXCHANGES
Ukraine carried out its first prisoner exchange with Russia at the end of March, a month after the start of the conflict, when ten Russian soldiers were exchanged for ten Ukrainian soldiers, and eleven Russian civilian sailors, rescued from a ship that sank in the Black Sea near Odessa, for 19 Ukrainian civilians captured by the Russians.
On April 1, Ukraine reported the release of 86 soldiers captured by Russia, in an exchange for Russian soldiers whose number was not specified. Kiev announced on April 9 the “third exchange” of prisoners, which allowed the release of 12 Ukrainian soldiers and 14 civilians.
On April 14, the Kiev government announced that it had secured the release of 30 Ukrainian prisoners in a new exchange with Russia, five days after the exchange of 12 Ukrainian soldiers and 14 civilians, but did not specify the counterparts with Moscow.
“Today, on the orders of President Volodymir Zelensky, a fourth exchange of prisoners took place. Five officers and 17 military personnel, as well as eight civilians, including one woman, entered the exchange. In total, 30 of our citizens are returning home today,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram.
(with information from EFE)
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