More than 80 Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war were released this week in prisoner swaps, officials from both sides confirmed.
The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said in a Telegram post that 44 captured Ukrainians including soldiers, sailors, border guards, and two civilians have returned to Ukraine.
Yermak's post featured multiple photos of men and women in military fatigues, posing in a green meadow, with some draped in Ukrainian flags.
Yermak said some of the released prisoners included soldiers who held out last year in the Azovstal steel mill in the port city of Mariupol, alongside others who fought in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Yermak also claimed some prisoners had visible injuries on their bodies as a result of torture.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in an online statement that 40 Russian soldiers have been repatriated.
