Hours after a major prisoners exchange… Zelensky calls on his forces to take more Russian prisoners to release his captured soldiers
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his forces on Monday to take more prisoners, saying it would facilitate the release of soldiers held by Russia.
Zelensky’s statements came hours after the two sides carried out one of the largest prisoner exchanges so far, exchanging a total of 218 detainees, including 108 Ukrainian women.
In an evening speech, he said, “I thank everyone who participated in this success, as well as all those who replenish our prisoner exchange fund, who guarantee the capture of enemies.
“The more Russian prisoners we have, the closer we are to liberating our heroes… Every Ukrainian soldier, every front-line commander should remember that”.
Among the liberated women, 12 were civilians, said Andrei Yermak, director of the office of the President of Ukraine.
“This was the first all-female exchange,” he wrote on Telegram, adding that 37 of the women were captured after Russian forces seized the huge Azovstal steel plant in the coastal city of Mariupol in May.
Separately, Ukraine’s interior minister said some of the liberated women had been imprisoned since 2019 after being detained by Moscow-allied authorities in the eastern regions.
Earlier, a Russian-appointed governor in one region said Kyiv would free 80 civilian sailors and 30 military personnel.
