Russia-Ukraine Exchange Hundreds Of War Fights After The Crash Of A Military Transport Aircraft In Belgorod

Release of Ukrainian prisoners of war. (Twitter/@ZelenskyyUa)

JAKARTA - Russia and Ukraine are exchanging hundreds of prisoners of war (POW), after the crash of a Moscow military transport plane in Belgorod which is claimed to carry 65 POWERs in it.

The Russian military said each side repatriated 195 troops on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 207 Ukrainian soldiers had been returned.

The exchange on Wednesday is the 50th since President Putin launched a massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In a brief statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense said the exchange was completed after negotiations.

"The released military personnel will be transported by military transport aircraft to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation," he said, quoted by the BBC on February 1.

"All those released are given the necessary medical and psychological assistance," the statement continued.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky wrote in a post on social media: "Our people have returned. There are 207 people. We are repatriating them no matter what.

"We remember every Ukrainian who dumped him. Both fighters and civilians. We have to repatriate them all," he said, thanking top Ukrainian security officials for allowing this latest exchange.

The exchange was kept secret until it happened, for security reasons. Ukraine confirmed the United Arab Emirates was involved as a mediator.

Last week, the Russian military said a military transport plane Il-76 had been shot down by Ukraine in the western region of Belgorod. The plane is said to have carried 65 POWERs, along with six crew members and three bodyguards. All of them died. Russia has not provided strong evidence for its claims. Meanwhile, Kyiv questioned Moscow's claim that Ukraine's POW was on a plane that crashed.