Russia, Ukraine swap 372 POWs: Russian defence ministry

AFP | Moscow

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 372 soldiers in a prisoner swap brokered by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian defence ministry said Wednesday.

The Kremlin announced the swap on Tuesday, following talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Moscow returned 175 Ukrainian POWs, as well as "22 seriously wounded prisoners of war in need of urgent medical assistance", while Kyiv returned 175 Russian troops, the Russian defence ministry said. Russia said it returned the Ukrainian wounded prisoners as a "gesture of goodwill".

"All the Russian soldiers are in Belarus, where they are being provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance and given the opportunity to contact their relatives," it added.