During the last prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, five Ukrainians were returned from Belarus, according to Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.
"On the night of Friday to Saturday, June 29, the 53rd exchange was completed, during which 90 Ukrainian servicemen and 10 Ukrainian civilians were returned. Five of them were returned from Belarus: two men and three women," said Yusov. According to him, these are Ukrainian citizens who, as presumed by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), were illegally detained and held.
"However, due to complex and systematic efforts - including negotiations, diplomatic efforts, and bilateral dialogue - this issue was successfully resolved. Today the citizens of Ukraine are at home - this is the most important thing," said the representative of the DIU.
He also added that Ukraine and Belarus have "not easy relations" today.
"But at the same time, this is a different situation compared to what we have with the so-called Russian Federation. Bilateral efforts have helped resolve this issue," emphasized Yusov.
Prisoner exchange
On June 25, Ukraine conducted another exchange of prisoners of war with Russia. 90 defenders returned home.
On the evening of June 28, the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Neriman Dzhelal, who was captured in 2021, was returned from Russian captivity. Nine more Ukrainians were also returned, including two priests. This was done through the mediation of the Vatican.
