Adedokun Waliyu 
Russia and Ukraine have conducted a major prisoner-of-war exchange a week after a previous swap was prevented when a Russian Il-76 transport plane was shot down and exploded near the border between the two countries.
Both sides said about 200 prisoners each had been exchanged on Wednesday, although they disagreed about the exact figures.
“Our people are back, 207 of them,” Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, wrote. “We return them home no matter what.”
He published photos showing Ukrainian soldiers hugging, making telephone calls, and crying after the swap. Many were holding yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags.
“We remember each Ukrainian in captivity, both warriors and civilians,” he continued. “We must bring all of them back. We are working on it. The Ukrainian team has done another excellent job.”
Russia’s defence ministry released a statement in which it confirmed the swap and said “exactly 195 Ukrainian armed forces prisoners of war have been handed over” for the return of 195 captured Russian soldiers.
Wednesday’s swap marked an unexpectedly quick return to prisoner exchanges after Russia accused Ukraine of shooting down the transport plane last week shortly before a similar swap was to have taken place.
Russia said there were Ukrainian PoWs on board and accused Ukraine of intentionally targeting the flight, but it has not released proof that there were prisoners aboard or a confirmed flight manifest.
Ukraine said it had no information about prisoners aboard the plane but confirmed plans for a swap and accused Russia of putting its servicemen at risk. Both sides have ordered an investigation into the crash.
