.Ukrainian Head of state Volodymyr Zelensky revealed Friday that 49 Ukrainian POWs had actually been actually returned coming from Russia, along with AFP seeing the team being welcomed at the border with Belarus.Zelensky performed certainly not clarify whether it was part of a swap along with Russia, as is actually normally the scenario, yet AFP reporters had earlier viewed Russian hostages being packed onto a bus near the edge.It would certainly be the second swap between the warring countries given that Kyiv's shock incursion into Russia's Kursk area.Zelensky stated private citizens were actually additionally amongst the returnees, consisting of a "gal that was hijacked when she concerned take care of her unwell dad.".He said the exchange additionally included competitors coming from Mariupol's 2022 Azovstal struggle, in addition to soldiers, border protections and law enforcement officers.AFP talked to 2 girls in their 20s wrapped in Ukrainian banners as well as receiving blooms, who claimed they were at the Azovstal plant that fell to Russia after a siege in 2022." I am actually finally home, I can not believe it," stated 28-year-old Tamara Miroshnikova, leader of an equipped motor vehicle of Ukraine's National Protector, said.An additional female, 29-year-old Tetiana Bugay, said she was a paramedic at the Azov brigade that defended Azovstal.Previously, AFP observed the Ukrainian military steering Russian POWs in a bus, some were actually wearing hoods concealing their skins, which were cleared away as they were filled into a minivan.AFP spoke with several of all of them quickly, and all those who communicated claimed they were taken captive throughout Ukraine's shock Kursk offensive final month.