Russia 'working hard' to return Wagner POWs, Ukraine's HUR says

Mercenaries who fought for Wagner Group in Ukraine are among those at the top of the list of requests from the Kremlin in prisoner swaps, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) said on April 20.

Speaking on national television, HUR spokesperson Andrii Yusov was asked about Moscow’s priorities during negotiations for who is included in the semi-regular exchanges.

“Who do they want to see first? Well, there are various lists. We can mention that since when the Wagner Group was actively operating, they have indeed been working hard on their return,” he said.

“Also, certain representatives from specific regions and services are very eager to get their people back,” he added without elaborating.

Wagner units were key to Russia’s seizure of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast in May 2023. Estimates suggest that nearly 20,000 mercenaries, many of whom were former convicts recruited from Russian prisoners in late 2022, died in the battle for the city.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the then-leader of Wagner, died in a mysterious plane crash in Russia on Aug. 23, 2023. The crash came two months after Prigozhin led Wagner troops in a short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin.

Wagner units were then reportedly incorporated into official Russian military structures, such as Rosgvardia. The Chechen Akhmat unit claimed in October 2023 that a “massive” number of Wagner mercenaries had joined its ranks.

Yusov’s comments come a day after Ukraine brought home another 277 soldiers in a major prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of the Easter holiday.

The latest swap was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

“I thank everyone who made this return of our people possible,” Zelensky said. “I am especially grateful to the United Arab Emirates for their mediation."

According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs), 246 Ukrainian service members were released as part of the exchange with Russia. Another 31 were released outside of the exchange.

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