Ukraine and Russia have conducted their 50th prisoner exchange, with 207 Ukrainian POWs returned, including 95 Armed Forces servicemen, 56 National Guard members, 26 Border Guards, and 29 Territorial Defense warriors. This exchange follows the controversial downing of a Russian Il-76 transport plane on January 24, which Russia claims was shot down by a US-supplied Patriot missile system. Over 8,000 Ukrainians, including 1,600 civilians, are now POWs held by Russia, with a total of 49 prisoner swaps resulting in 2,681 military servicemembers and 147 civilians being taken back home to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for an international investigation into the incident, while Ukraine's Defence Intelligence representative Andriy Yusov has stated that the military personnel allegedly on the plane were not part of this latest exchange.
.@thehill: Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of POWs https://t.co/BMHL5ysrfy
VIDEO More than 400 Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war are returned home in a Kyiv-Moscow trade, a week after the crash of a Russian plane allegedly carrying captured Ukrainian soldiers cast doubts on future swaps 🎥 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 https://t.co/b1Bnwziabl
Putin claims Russia won't stop prisoner swaps with Ukraine over Il-76 crash https://t.co/9VVhMGtXuG
Officials in Russia and Ukraine say they have successfully swapped almost 400 captured soldiers. https://t.co/MvXUKfk69A
President #VladimirPutin says that Ukraine had used a #US-supplied Patriot air defense system to shoot down a Russian Il-76 military transport plane last week in the Belgorod region that #Moscow says killed all 74 people on board. https://t.co/86MurCI9Kl
🥺 The first telephone conversation between a Ukrainian soldier released from Russian captivity today and his father. All this time, the parents did not know whether their son was alive. https://t.co/XPkIUwBb2P
🥺 The first telephone conversation between a Ukrainian soldier released today from Russian captivity and his father. The parents thought that their son was dead. https://t.co/StQfuoGYah
An American Patriot missile shot down a plane carrying a prisoner of war in Belgorod - Vladimir Putin https://t.co/9GdPu6C2dj
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes an international investigation to review evidence that the Kiev Regime shot down a Russian military IL-76 transport plane w/ U.S. supplied missiles. 65 Ukrainian POWs were on board. https://t.co/BqSQ2FbYMG
So Putin says Ukraine shot down Il-76 with Patriot missile. Maybe. Maybe not. It is in Russia’s interest to argue Ukraine is not fit to be given these missiles. “They want to depict us as monkeys with grenades,” an intelligence officer told me yesterday. https://t.co/SBcrqHEKbT
"I'm alive, Pa! I'm in Ukraine!" - our Defender makes his first phone call home after returning from Russian captivity. 📹: My - Ukraina https://t.co/7Xkf9TFRNu https://t.co/5N1gh4ejM8
Update: None of the Ukrainian prisoners returned on January 31 were on the list for the planned January 24 exchange, which never took place due to the Russian Il-76 military plane crash, said Andriy Yusov, the spokesman for Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate. https://t.co/JojR3XNqpG
"Yes I am in Ukraine, dad they exchanged me, yes I am in Ukraine, that it! I'm alive. Yes dad I'm alive, everything is alright. Dad, where's mom dad?" "I'll call her, she's at work" "Dad..." Another russian speaking Ukrainian who suffered unimaginable ordeal from his "brothers". https://t.co/fdcRsy1voy
"Yes, yes, dad, it's me, I'm already in Ukraine, they exchanged me, I'm already in Ukraine, I'm alive, everything is fine, dad," a just freed military man calls his relatives for the first time after returning from captivity. 💛💙 https://t.co/tYB2qRvm0Q
The tears that say 'I'm home': Hundreds of PoWs are returned to Ukrainian soil in prisoner swap - a week after Russia accused Kyiv of shooting down a plane carrying captured soldiers https://t.co/IpNN5Da1WX https://t.co/rlDYWIajhs
US-Made Missile Used To Shoot Down Plane Carrying Prisoners Of War: Putin https://t.co/Pqcxs2Tlf6 https://t.co/Uo8Zry67pG
So the Il-76 was shot down by a US patriot battery. Question is who was operating it, meaning US or Ukrainian personnel and it also appears that it was known by Kiev that the plane contained Ukrainian POWs. This debacle has only just starting unravelling.
⚡Zelensky: Almost half of 207 exchanged prisoners were defenders of Mariupol. https://t.co/1YIJccudS9
🚨BREAKING: PUTIN - US PATRIOT MISSILE USED TO SHOOT DOWN POW PLANE Putin is insisting on an international investigation into the downing of a Russian Il-76 plane carrying Ukrainian PoWs on Jan 24. “The plane was shot down; it has already been established for certain by an… https://t.co/4d1OjdrY6V https://t.co/OJZOV3tfuW
⚡️Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (#HUR) representative, Andriy #Yusov, stated in a comment to Voice of America that the military personnel allegedly transported by the Russian Federation in an #IL76 aircraft on January 24 were not part of today's exchange. https://t.co/q7Kji3697p
A representative of the Ukrainian State Security Service, Andriy Yusov, said that Ukrainian POWs from the list for the January 24 exchange, which did not take place due to the IL-76 crash, had not returned in today's exchange. https://t.co/7tKvjJXpAV
207 Ukrainian Heroes are back home 🙏🏻 Their emotions… Goosebumps while watching the video. https://t.co/ka8qK7e7B7
We insist on an international investigation of the Il-76 downing - Putin https://t.co/JM4tAbB2sB
BREAKING: 🇷🇺🇺🇦🇺🇸 Vladimir Putin: "Il-76 full with Ukranian POW, in the Belgorod region was shot down by the American Patriot system, as determined by the examination." https://t.co/BDF18qw0Cq https://t.co/KSMopHx2rs
BREAKING - Putin says US Patriot missile used to shoot down POW plane READ: https://t.co/QrwBCzlqST https://t.co/Sl0Tlyey3h
"The Il-76 in the Bilhorod region was shot down by the American Patriot system, this was established by an examination," Putin said quoted by state media RIA. https://t.co/qL2eNKFNE5
"The Il-76 in the Bilhorod region was shot down by the American Patriot system, this was established by an examination," Putin said quoted by state media RIA. And today all the POW's that died on the plane resurrected? https://t.co/hv12gyvW63
PUTIN: IL-76 PLANE WAS DOWNED BY U.S. PATRIOT SYSTEM
Touching footage from Ukrainian defenders, just freed from captivity💛💙 Goosebumps.. https://t.co/nYOET7GDQ1
❖ PUTIN: UKRAINE DOWNING IL-76 PLANE WITH UKRAINIAN POWS IS A CRIME ❖ PUTIN: I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEY THEY DID IT
Among the exchanged Warriors are Defenders of Mariupol, Kherson, fighters from Zmiinyi Island, marines, and combat medics: ▪️ 95 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ▪️ 56 National Guard members, ▪️ 26 Border Guards, ▪️ 29 Territorial Defense warriors, ▪️ one serviceperson… https://t.co/lyjaJkbawx https://t.co/5N1gh4ejM8
Can’t believe my eyes. A new major POW swap. Our guys are coming home from Russian captivity. https://t.co/jJVhYwERgg
‼️ 🇺🇦Ukraine carried out the 50th exchange of prisoners. Another 207 of our Defenders returned home. 👨👩👧👦 A moment of joy and fulfilled hope, a moment these men had been waiting for every minute of captivity. 🙏 Faith in one's own country, which fights every day to save its… https://t.co/r9mMZcmOn8
Big prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, the first since the Russian Il-76 transport plane was downed and the swap scheduled that day was suspended. Still no more information about what was actually on board. But 207 Ukrainian POWs will get to spend tonight with family. https://t.co/Y1tuinLYJm
“At home. Our 207 boys.” President #Zelenskyy reported the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Photos via his Telegram https://t.co/Y17ogT2pN9
Despite loud statements, the Russian side still has not provided any evidence that Ukrainian prisoners of war were aboard the #IL76 on January 24 in Belgorod region. It adds more doubts about the veracity of Moscow's claims. https://t.co/axfTyR6XQe
Black boxes confirm plane carrying Ukrainian POWs was shot down – TASS The aircraft crashed due to 'external factors,' a source has told the news agency https://t.co/SpnpjOUwH3 https://t.co/Q5jFxQcwv8
⚡️ Military intelligence: Russia shows no intent of returning bodies of POWs allegedly on crashed Il-76. https://t.co/bsrNEWHWOf
Over 8,000 Ukrainians, including 1,600 civilians, are now POWs held by Russia. Ukraine has had a total of 49 prisoner swaps, with 2,681 military servicemembers and 147 civilians taken back home as of now.