Emotional scenes unfolded during the return of 207 Ukrainian former prisoners of war to their homeland.

These are soldiers, but also officers who were arrested by the Russian forces in Kherson and Mariupol.

The majority of Ukrainians belong to the famous Azov Brigade.

The hostages exchange was welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who congratulated the negotiating team on its efforts.

Ukraine handed over 195 Russians to Russia as part of the process.

The hostages exchange took place almost a week after the downing of the Ilyushin 76, which Vladimir Putin says was shot down by a US Patriot missile system used by Ukraine while carrying Ukrainian prisoners.

The two sides are still at loggerheads over the circumstances of the crash, with Kiev calling for an international panel of experts to investigate the cause, something Moscow refuses to do on Russian soil.

Source: Euronews

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