The Russian Ministry of Defense announced this Wednesday (31) an exchange of prisoners of war with Ukraine, as part of which 195 people on each side were released, a week after the downing of the Russian military transport plane Il-76 , which allegedly had Ukrainian prisoners on board.
“On January 31, as a result of a negotiation process, 195 Russian soldiers were returned from territories controlled by Kiev. In exchange, 195 prisoners of war from the Armed Forces of Ukraine were handed over,” the Russian military department reported on Telegram.
According to Defense, the released Russian military personnel will be transferred to Moscow “for medical treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Ministry of Defense.”
“All those released receive the necessary medical and psychological help,” the department added.
The exchange took place just seven days after the crash of a Russian plane in the Russian region of Belgorod, on board which 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war were allegedly transported, part of the 195 agreed for an exchange that should have taken place last Wednesday.
According to the Russian version, the Russian Il-76 military transport plane was shot down by Ukraine. For its part, Kiev, which confirmed that an exchange was being prepared, claims that the plane was transporting weapons and not prisoners of war.
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