.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared Friday that 49 Ukrainian POWs had actually been come back from Russia, along with AFP seeing the group being welcomed at the boundary with Belarus.Zelensky performed not clear up whether it was part of a swap along with Russia, as is actually commonly the situation, however AFP reporters had previously viewed Russian hostages being loaded onto a bus near the perimeter.It will be the 2nd substitution between the warring nations because Kyiv's shock incursion right into Russia's Kursk region.Zelensky mentioned civilians were actually likewise one of the returnees, featuring a "gal who was hijacked when she related to handle her sick father.".He pointed out the swap likewise featured competitors coming from Mariupol's 2022 Azovstal war, in addition to soldiers, perimeter protections and also law enforcement officers.AFP talked with pair of ladies in their 20s covered in Ukrainian banners as well as receiving flowers, that said 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," mentioned 28-year-old Tamara Miroshnikova, commander of an equipped car of Ukraine's National Guard, said.An additional female, 29-year-old Tetiana Bugay, stated she was actually a medic at the Azov brigade that defended Azovstal.Earlier, AFP observed the Ukrainian military driving Russian POWs in a bus, some were actually putting on hoods hiding their faces, which were gotten rid of as they were actually loaded right into a minivan.AFP contacted some of them briefly, and all those who spoke claimed they were captured during the course of Ukraine's shock Kursk offensive last month.