Ukraine and Russia exchange 180 prisoners of war mediated by the United Arab Emirates

Ukraine and Russia exchanged a total of 180 prisoners of war this Tuesday90 on each side, with the help of United Arab EmiratesBoth the Ukrainian Presidency and the Russian Defense Ministry reported today.

“Home is not just a word. Home is Ukraine. Today, another 90 of our people have returned home from Russian captivity,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.

In the case of Ukraine, soldiers of the National Guard, Navy, Army, and Border Guards returned home, as well as the city of Mariupol and the Central Guard chernobyl nuclear,

Also included are troops who fought on the Kherson (south), Kharkiv (northeast), Zaporizhia (southeast), and Donetsk and Luhansk (east) fronts.

“We remember all our people in Russian captivity. We will continue to work for the liberation of each of them. We are looking for the truth about all those who are held by the enemy,” Zelensky said.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on its Telegram channel that the exchange was the result of a negotiation process in which the United Arab Emirates provided humanitarian mediation.

“The released servicemen will be transferred to Moscow on military transport aircraft of the Russian Air Force for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Defense Ministry. All those released are receiving necessary medical and psychological support”, he indicated.

On the other hand, the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday announced an arrest warrant against the former Russian Defense Minister. Sergei Shoiguand the Chief of the General Staff, Valery GerasimovFor war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between October 2022 and March 2023 during the invasion of Ukraine.

The court said in a statement that the orders were issued because the judges considered there were reasonable grounds to believe that the men were responsible “Missile attacks by the Russian Armed Forces against the electrical infrastructure of Ukraine” From October 10, 2022, to at least March 9, 2023.

“During this period, the Russian armed forces carried out a large number of attacks against numerous electrical power plants and substations in numerous locations in Ukraine.”the court added.

There is no immediate prospect that any suspects will be arrested. Russia is not a member of the global court, does not recognise its jurisdiction and refuses to hand over suspects.

Last year, the court also issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abduction of Ukrainian children.

Putin replaced Shoigu as defense minister in a Cabinet reshuffle in May as he began his fifth term as president. He also appointed Shoigu as secretary of the Russian Security Council, the Kremlin said.

ICC Pre-Trial Chamber approves arrest warrants for two senior Russian government officials holding them responsible for war crimes “directing attacks at civilian targets and causing excessive collateral damage to civilians and civilian objects”Also crimes against humanity for “inhumane acts” defined in the Treaty of Rome.

ICC Prosecutor, karim khanasked the Chamber to approve these arrest warrants, accusing Shoigu and Gerasimov of being “criminally responsible” for committing these criminal acts, ordering their commission, and/or not exercising sufficient control over the forces under his command to prevent the commission of these crimes.

“There are reasonable grounds to believe that both suspects are responsible for missile attacks carried out by the Russian armed forces against Ukrainian electrical infrastructure from at least October 10, 2022, to at least March 9, 2023.”Mentioned the three judges composing the Preliminary Affairs Chamber.

(With information from EFE)