Russia and Ukraine exchange civilians after prisoner swap

Russia and Ukraine have carried out an exchange of civilians following their latest prisoner-of-war swap, the BBC reported, citing Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.

Seven Ukrainians, aged between 35 and 66, who had been detained during the occupation of Mariupol, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk regions, as well as Bucha district in Kyiv region, in 2022, have returned home.

Earlier, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said that five residents of Russia’s Kursk region had returned home from captivity. Two other people from different regions were also transferred.

On Friday, Russia and Ukraine conducted another prisoner-of-war exchange under the “160-for-160” formula. Lubinets said he had met with Lantratova during the exchange.

The two ombudsmen agreed to continue reciprocal visits to prisoners of war and to exchange requests from Ukrainian and Russian citizens seeking copies of documents held in Russia and Ukraine, access to which has become impossible because of the war.