Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:25pm on 31 Jan 2024,Wednesday International
Ukraine and Russia executed their initial prisoner exchange following a Russian plane crash, with each side reclaiming 195 soldiers. The swap, disputed due to a downed plane last week, involved 207 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as confirmed by President Zelensky. Moscow asserts the plane carried 65 Ukrainian PoWs, blaming a US Patriot system for the crash. The details remain unverified, prompting calls for an international inquiry. Russian President Putin claims the aircraft was downed in the Belgorod region. The exchange marks the 50th since Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both sides emphasize the need to bring all captives home.
