Newsroom
Tears flowed as Ukrainian families embraced their loved ones after a prisoner exchange with Russia on Monday, December 30.
The group included soldiers captured during battles at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Snake Island, and other key front-line areas, as well as two civilians.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the two nations exchanged 189 prisoners each in a swap facilitated by the United Arab Emirates.
This marked the 59th prisoner exchange since Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Among those freed was Oleksandr Hlyshenko, a defender of Mariupol, who endured over two years in captivity. Describing the day of his release as his "second birthday," Hlyshenko shared that he had long awaited this moment, counting the minutes until his freedom.
With information from The Independent.
