Ukrainian border guards -- who have been captured whereas defending Snake Island -- have now been freed in a prisoner change, in line with Kyiv.
Ukraine's parliament reported on Thursday that 19 people have been launched in change for Russian sailors.
"The primary change of battle hostages occurred on President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy's order," the parliament stated on Twitter.
"Moreover ... Ukraine exchanged 11 Russian sailors we rescued from a sunken ship close to Odesa [for] 19 Ukrainian sailors," it added.
These exchanged included those that generated worldwide consideration by defiantly refusing Russian calls to give up, the parliament said.
In line with viral audio clips, the border guards have been advised by Moscow forces to "lay down their weapons and give up to keep away from bloodshed and useless casualties" or "be bombed".
The Ukrainian troopers might then be heard talking amongst themselves, earlier than swearing on the Russian warship.
Ukrainian officers had initially reported that every one troops stationed on the strategic Snake Island (often known as Zmiinyi Island) within the Black Sea had been killed.
However Ukraine's Navy later stated that the 13 border guards have been, the truth is, alive and had been captured by "Russian occupiers". Russia had denied allegations that the Ukrainian troopers had been killed by air and sea strikes.
Ukraine's Navy additionally stated that members of a humanitarian mission despatched to Snake Island had additionally been captured and had demanded their "rapid launch".
Ukraine's border guard company had stated earlier on Thursday that officers have been working to free the troopers who had been on Snake Island.
"Our sailors will return house from the rescue ship "Sapphire," which was captured by the Russian occupiers whereas making an attempt to withdraw Ukrainian troops from the Zmiiny island," the Ukrainian parliament stated.
"Below the change phrases, the lifeboat will even be returned to Ukraine and despatched to a Turkish port," it added.
Russia and Ukraine additionally exchanged 10 different prisoners of battle every on Thursday, in what Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk described because the "first full change of prisoners of the navy".
"They're all protected and getting all the assistance they want," Vereshchuk advised an earlier press convention.
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