Just under 50 Ukrainian soldiers were released into their nation’s custody in a prisoner swap with Russia this week.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the latest swap on Friday, stating that 49 Ukrainians were brought home via the swap mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
“Another return of our people — something we always wait for and work tirelessly to achieve,” the Ukrainian president said.
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Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are released into their own nation’s custody following a prisoner swap with Russia this week. (Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy Via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS)
Zelenskyy specifically thanked the Ukrainian military units responsible for the continued capture of Russian soldiers, stating that these victories are what allowed the nation to demand swaps.
“All our warriors who capture Russian occupiers, and all our services that neutralize Russian saboteurs and collaborators, bring closer the liberation of our people,” Zelenskyy said. “We must bring home every single one of our people, both military and civilian.”
Prisoners released this week included both military personnel and civilians. It was the second swap since Ukraine began taking territory in the Kursk region of Russia, where most of their own prisoners are captured.
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Family, friends, and fellow countrymen gathered to welcome the Ukrainians taken captive by Russia that were released at an unknown location this week. (Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy Via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS)
Neither Ukraine nor Russia have acknowledged how many captured Russians were traded for the 49 Ukrainian prisoners.
The citizens’ release comes as Ukraine begs the United States for clearance to fire American missiles into Moscow.
President Biden is facing mounting pressure to lift the ban on Ukraine using U.S. weapons to strike deep inside Russia and appeared to admit on Tuesday that his administration is moving in that direction.
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Ukrainian prisoners of war are seen after a swap, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine, in this handout picture. (Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy Via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS)
“We’re working that out right now,” he said when asked by reporters whether he would allow Ukraine to use the long-range Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, to target sites inside Russia. Support for lifting the ban has come from all sides.
A group of high-level House Republicans wrote to the president this week arguing that such restrictions “have hampered Ukraine’s ability to defeat Russia’s war of aggression and have given the Kremlin’s forces a sanctuary from which it can attack Ukraine with impunity.”
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.