Russian servicemen
On January 8, Russia and Ukraine held another prisoner exchange which became the first one in 2023. This time, the exchange was equal, both of the warring sides got 50 servicemen back from enemy prisons.
The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed that 50 Russian servicemen came back home as a result of the exchange. The Russian side traditionally did not reveal the military ranks of the released prisoners of war (POWs). All of them will be taken to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation.
In their turn, Ukrainian officials confirmed the prisoner swap. The head of the President’s office, Andriy Ermak, claimed that 50 Ukrainian servicemen were released. According to him, there are 33 officers among them, as well as 17 soldiers.
According to Mr Yermak, Ukrainian POWs include those taken hostage at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as well as in Mariupol, near Bakhmut (Artemovsk), in Kiev, Chernihiv and Kherson regions, as well as in other regions. The same claims were made after almost oll the recent exchanges. Thus, the real areas of hostilities where the Ukrainian POWs were captured cannot be identified.
Most of the swaps between Russia and Ukraine are not equal and the Ukrainian military receives more servicemen back than the Russian side. The last prisoner swap took place on New Year Eve on December 31. LINK That time, 82 Russian servicemen were exchanged to 140 Ukrainians.
