Russia and Ukraine on Thursday announced a prisoner of war exchange involving the return of 45 soldiers from both sides. 45 Russian servicemen had been returned from Ukrainian custody, said Russia's defence ministry according to state news agency RIA. Ukrainian presidential staff head, Andriy Yermak also said that 45 service personnel and two civilians had been returned to Ukraine, reported Reuters. Some of those freed had fought in Mariupol and the southern city's Azovstal steel plant, and others had fought on the frontline elsewhere, Yermak said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. 


"Each of them is a hero," Yermak said.


Most of the servicement freed were "seriously injured" and all would undergo rehabilitation, said Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets. 


In a separate post, Yermak said that two children aged six and 10 had been allowed to return to Ukraine following the release of their mother, a military medic, last October.


Russia and Ukraine have over a period of time exchanged groups of prisoners in the course of the war, now in its 17th month. 


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Lubinets said that 2,576 Ukrainians have been freed in prisoner swaps since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022, as per the report.


In April this year, over 200 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers returned home in a prisoner swap. 


As per an Al Jazeera report, Russia's defence ministry said that 106 soldiers were released from Ukrainina custody while Yermak said that 100 Ukrainian prisoners were freed by Moscow. 


In February as well, dozens of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war were set free by both the countries. While 116 Ukrainian soldiers were freed by Moscow, 63 Russian troops had returned from Ukraine following the swap, as per a report by the Assosciated Press. 


Some of the Russian prisoners set free were from "special category" whose release was secured following mediation by the United Arab Emirates, the report added.