By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
Russia and Ukraine conduct prisoner exchange amidst tensions over plane crash.
In a significant development, Russia and Ukraine have completed a prisoner exchange involving around 200 prisoners of war each, as announced by both nations on Wednesday. This exchange occurred despite heightened tensions arising from the recent crash of a military transport plane near the border between the two countries. The incident, which took place on January 24, involved the downing of an Il-76 plane by Russia, claiming it was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war. The exchange took place, with conflicting figures reported by the countries, leaving the total number of freed individuals unclear.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that 195 prisoners were exchanged, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that 207 Ukrainians were released. The discrepancy in numbers remains unexplained. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman for human rights, highlighted that this marked the 50th such exchange since Russia’s full-scale invasion nearly two years ago, resulting in the repatriation of 3,035 prisoners of war.
The released Ukrainians included members of the armed forces, National Guard, Border Service, and national police, some of whom were captured while defending specific locations. The Russian military claimed that the Russian prisoners faced “deadly danger in captivity” and would be transported to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation.
The backdrop of this exchange is the controversy surrounding the plane crash. Moscow insisted that the aircraft carried 65 Ukrainian prisoners, while Ukraine acknowledged the planned swap on the same day but provided no evidence supporting the claim that the plane was carrying prisoners. Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting the use of U.S.-supplied Patriot air defense systems by Ukraine to shoot down the plane, called for an international investigation, a demand Ukraine has not accepted.
Prisoner Exchange, Russia-Ukraine Tensions, Military Plane Crash, International Investigation