Ukraine has brought 75 soldiers home from Russia in the war’s latest prisoner swap, as senior Ukrainian officials welcomed them on Friday.
"After a long break, another prisoner swap occurred: 75 defenders and civilians were released from the enemy's captivity," Ukraine's Coordinating Committee on Dealing with Prisoners of War said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeelenskyy confirmed the deal on Friday.
"Throughout all of this time, we have not stopped working for a single day to bring everyone home from Russian captivity," the president said in a statement made public by domestic outlets.
The Russian defence ministry said Ukraine exchanged the same number of people in return in a UAE-led deal, according to Russian state-owned outlets.
Andrii Yermak, the head of the office of the Ukrainian president, said in a statement, “We are returning home 75 of our people who were captured by the Russians.”
“These are privates, sergeants and officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” he wrote on Telegram.
“Today they are at home. I thank each of them for their service. I thank the civilians for their faith in Ukraine. The task is to return everyone. Glory to Ukraine.”
At least one-third of the rescued soldiers were injured, seriously ill or disabled.
