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ARTICLE
“Emotional moment 100 prisoners return to Ukraine after swap deal with Russia”
Metro
Jordan King
Tuesday 11 Apr 2023 1:26 pm
Soldiers were filmed hugging and kissing their loved ones as they climbed off a bus on Saturday.
Many were seen draped in a Ukrainian flag, holding yellow flowers wrapped in blue paper to match the country’s national colours.
Everyone was given food and multiple people were brought to tears while talking about their experiences.
One fighter said: ‘We are very thankful that we were released. We have been waiting for this day.’
Another was heard on the phone to their mum saying: ‘It’s okay, I’m back, alive, healthy. It’s okay mommy.’
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the return yesterday when he said: ‘These are 100 families who got real joy on the eve of Easter.
‘And, of course, we keep working to return all our people from Russian captivity. We remember everyone! And we will return everyone!’
The deal with Russia secured the release of 80 men and 20 women, made up of soldiers, border guards, marines and national guards, to Ukraine and 106 troops to Russia.
Mr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said this negotiation with Moscow was ‘not an easy one’.
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has alleged that half of the 100 people returned home ‘have serious injuries, illnesses or have been tortured’, but there is no evidence for this claim yet.
Freed Russians were flown on military transport planes to the capital for medical treatment and rehabilitation, the Defense Ministry said.