China News Service, Beijing, February 1 Comprehensive news: On January 31, local time, Russia and Ukraine carried out a new round of prisoner exchanges, which is the second large-scale exchange of prisoners between the two sides since January 3 this year.
According to TASS, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on January 31 that Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners on the same day under the humanitarian mediation of the United Arab Emirates. 195 Russian servicemen held in Ukrainian-controlled areas returned to Russia. In exchange, the Russian side handed over 195 Ukrainian servicemen to the Ukrainian side.
On the same day, Ukraine**Zelensky said through social media that 207 Ukrainian personnel were released and returned to China, about half of whom were defenders of Mariupol.
Russian spokeswoman Zakharova said later in the day that the transfer of captured personnel was supposed to take place on January 24, but Ukraine shot down the Il-76 military transport plane carrying the captured personnel of the Ukrainian army. "The tragedy has raised fears that Kyiv will use this to suspend or abandon the prisoner exchange indefinitely. We can state that this did not happen. ”
On January 24, an Il-76 military transport plane crashed in the Belgorod region of Russia. All 65 Ukrainian prisoners, 6 crew members and 3 entourages on board were killed. The Russian side said that the transport plane was hit by an anti-aircraft missile launched by the Ukrainian side, and it was a deliberate attack. The Ukrainian side responded that an investigation had been launched into the matter.
According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, Russia's Putin said on January 31 that the identification results showed that the Il-76 transport plane was shot down by the American-made "Patriot" air defense missile system, and the missile was launched from a Ukrainian-controlled area, and Russia insisted on an international investigation into the incident. At the same time, Putin said that Russia will not suspend the prisoner exchange process with Ukraine.
* The Ministry of Defense released a message on January 31 that the Ukrainian army tried to attack Russian facilities with 20 aerial missiles that night, and the Russian air defense system destroyed 17 missiles over the Black Sea and 3 missiles over the Crimean Peninsula. Part of the missile fragments fell into the military zone near the settlements of the Crimea, no aviation equipment was damaged.
According to the Ukrainian state news agency, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said at a press conference after the informal meeting of EU defense ministers on January 31 that since Russia launched its special military operation against Ukraine in February 2022, the EU and its member states have provided Ukraine with a total of 28 billion euros worth of military equipment, ** and ammunition, and plans to provide another 21 billion euros worth of aid to Ukraine in 2024.
Last year, EU member states pledged to supply Ukraine with 1 million 155 mm artillery shells in a year from March of that year to March of this year. Borrell said on the same day that the EU could only deliver 52. to Ukraine until March of this year40,000 shells, which could not achieve the previously promised target. (ENDS).