Captured resident of Sverdlovsk Oblast returned from Ukrainian captivity
Fresh Take:
Over the past eleven days, Russia and Ukraine have conducted their sixth prisoner swap. Despite the secrecy surrounding the exact number of military personnel exchanged, Russia's ombudsman for the Sverdlovsk region, Tatyana Merzlyakova, has confirmed that one local resident has been freed.
On June 19, it was announced that three more military personnel from Sverdlovsk region would be returning home.
This latest prisoner swap is part of ongoing negotiations that commenced in Istanbul on June 2, marking the second round of talks [1]. The first group of young Russian soldiers (under 25) were returned on June 9. According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, a comparable number of Ukrainian military personnel were released in exchange. June 10, 11, 12, and 14 saw further exchanges, with a total of 1,212 Ukrainian soldier bodies being handed over to Russia [1][2][3]. Over this period, six local residents of Sverdlovsk region have returned home.
As for Russia-wide returns, specific regional details have not been reported, as the focus appears to be on the prisoner swap negotiations and its outcomes rather than the return of military personnel within the country [1][2][3][5]. A potential larger swap involving around 1,200 prisoners on each side, including journalists and political prisoners, has been suggested, though this remains unconfirmed [5][1]. The swap mostly focused on two categories: seriously ill prisoners of war and young soldiers ages 18-25 [1][5].
In the midst of ongoing negotiations, the latest prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine includes individuals from various sectors, such as news journalists and political prisoners, although these specifics remain unrevealed [5][1]. Meanwhile, the sports world continues to unfold its events, providing a welcome distraction to the ongoing political news [4].
