Commanders who led defence of Azovstal steelworks among those freed in exchange for Putin ally and 55 Russian soldiers
The swap came after mediation by Turkey, with negotiations carried out in strict secrecy.
Kharko said she had been able to speak to her brother for a few minutes after he arrived in Turkey following his release. “I felt euphoric to hear his voice. I just said his name over and over again,” she said, adding that the call was brief and they had not discussed the conditions of his detention in Russia.
Russian propagandists scrambled on Thursday to explain why the exchange appeared lopsided, while there was anger among some military bloggers that so much attention had been paid to Medvedchuk, released by Ukraine as part of the deal. Medvedchuk was arrested in April after escaping house arrest on treason charges days after Russia launched its invasion. Zelenskiy called on Russia at the time to exchange him for Ukrainian prisoners of war, but the“I am not sad about swapping Medvedchuk for real warriors. He has gone through all investigative procedures according to the law and Ukraine has got everything from him it needs to determine the truth,” he said.Away from the prisoner swap, fighting continued on the ground on Thursday.
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