As part of a prisoner exchange procedure, Russia handed over to Ukraine a number of military and civilian individuals detained in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions long before the escalation of the conflict in 2022. This information was confirmed by a correspondent of the publication "Novaya-Evropa."
According to statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the exchange followed an "84 for 84" scheme. The Ukrainian leader specified that among those returned to their homeland were not only military personnel but also civilians arrested in 2014, 2016, and 2017. Additionally, Zelenskyy noted that participants in the defense of Mariupol were released as part of this procedure.