Russia, Ukraine Swap Prisoners         03/20 06:22

   

   CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine (AP) -- Russia and Ukraine said Wednesday they had 
each swapped 175 prisoners in one of the largest exchanges since the Russian 
full-scale invasion started three years ago.

   "We are bringing back soldiers, sergeants, and officers -- warriors who 
fought for our freedom in the ranks of the Armed Forces, the Navy, the National 
Guard, the Territorial Defense Forces, and the Border Guard Service," said 
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

   The Ukrainian leader said Tuesday that releasing all prisoners of war as 
well as captured civilians would be an important step toward peace and could 
help build trust between the two countries. He has repeatedly called for an 
"all-for-all" prisoner exchange.

   This comes as ongoing discussions about a temporary ceasefire that may pause 
the war continue.

   Warm reunions

   Shortly after the exchange took place near the northern border of the two 
warring countries, dozens of anxious families rushed to a hospital in Ukraine's 
Chernihiv region set to receive the released prisoners.

   Among them was 28-year-old Aliona Skuibida who has been campaigning for 
nearly three years for the return of her fiance, Andrii Orel, captured in April 
2022 during the brutal battle for Mariupol, which eventually fell to Russian 
forces.

   Skuibida, a member of the Marine Corps Strength Association, said they were 
to marry as soon as he returned from the battlefield but he fell into Russian 
hands instead.

   "Captivity is not a way to survive," she said, adding that many soldiers 
return from Russian captivity bearing signs of torture.

   But on Wednesday, Skuibida was ready to celebrate Orel's return with blue 
and yellow balloons and a cake. "His birthday was the day before," she said.

   Several buses then pulled into the hospital grounds. As frail and visibly 
exhausted soldiers poured out of the vehicles, their faces lit up. Some smiled, 
showing lost teeth.

   "Until I saw our flag, I couldn't believe I was home," said 46-year-old 
Oleksandr Savov. "And then I kissed it." Next to him stood his daughter, 
Anastasiia Savova, 25, who hadn't heard from her father in nearly three years. 
She faithfully wrote him letters while he was held captive that went unanswered.

   "All I want now is peace, a bowl of borshch, a chance to wash, and to lie 
down in a clean bed," Oleksandr Savov said. He believes he lost about 20 
kilograms (about 44 pounds) during his imprisonment since May, saying 
conditions were "cold and damp," with poor nutrition and no medical care.

   Savov, 46, showed an Associated Press reporter his hands covered in a red 
rash.

   As families reunited, there were others still missing. Some moved through 
the crowd, carrying photos of their missing relatives, desperately asking 
released POWs if they had seen them.

   Russia's Defense Ministry said earlier Wednesday it had released an 
additional 22 severely wounded Ukraine captives "as a goodwill gesture." 
Zelenskyy said they were returned through a separate negotiation process. 
Originally, Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised to release 23 
prisoners when he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump about a potential 
partial ceasefire. There was no immediate comment on the reason the number 
changed.

   Severely wounded soldiers and fighters whom Russia had prosecuted on 
fabricated charges were among those released, Zelenskyy said, promising that: 
"Ukraine remembers each of its heroes, and we will bring everyone home."

   Prisoner exchanges require work

   Prisoner exchanges have happened throughout the war, and Wednesday's 
exchange had been planned before the call with the U.S. president.

   Petro Yatsenko, head of the press office at Ukraine's Coordination 
Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs, emphasized that prisoner exchanges 
require extensive preparation.

   "These exchanges are not spontaneous events. They take months of careful 
planning -- not just days or weeks," Yatsenko said, adding that the last 
exchange was on Feb. 5. "And we've been working continuously since then to 
prepare for this one."

   Since the start of the Russian invasion, more than 4,000 Ukrainian captives, 
including civilians and foreigners, have been released, according to the POW 
treatment headquarters.

   The released Ukrainian servicemen had been captured while defending multiple 
regions, including Mariupol, the Azovstal steel plant, Donetsk, Luhansk, 
Kherson, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kursk.

   All those who returned will receive immediate medical and psychological 
assistance, Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram. He also expressed 
gratitude to the Ukrainian team working on prisoner swaps and international 
partners, particularly the United Arab Emirates, for facilitating the exchange.

   According to the United Nations, most Ukrainian POWs suffer medical neglect, 
severe and systematic mistreatment, and even torture while in detention. There 
have also been isolated reports of abuse by Russian soldiers, mostly during 
capture or transit to internment sites.