An exchange with Russia leads to the release of 108 women

One hundred and eight women, mostly soldiers, have been released in a new prisoner exchange with Russia, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency announced on Monday.

“A new large-scale exchange of prisoners of war took place today. A particularly moving and truly special exchange: we freed 108 women from prison,” Andriï Iermak, adviser to the Ukrainian president, said on Telegram.

According to him, these included 37 people evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in the southeastern city of Mariupol, which was besieged by Russian forces at the start of the conflict, as well as members of the army, navy and border guards.

12 civilians were also released.

Mr. Yarmak said.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the exchange, saying it had rescued 100 people, including “72 sailors from Russian civilian ships detained by the Kyiv regime since February 2022.”

According to him, two Ukrainian women should be exchanged, “voluntarily refused to return to Ukraine, preferring to stay in Russia”.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged scores of prisoners since the war began in February.