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On October 17, Russia and Ukraine conducted a new prisoner of war exchange. During this time, Moscow received 110 Russian citizens and Kiev 108 Ukrainians, of which only women were returned in the first exchange. Among them is 25-year-old Alina Panina, a junior sergeant in the Ukrainian border guard.
No warning or explanation. Five months into captivity, on that cold morning, the young woman found herself standing on a bridge in the middle of nowhere with 107 women, 12 of them civilians. Then came the order to advance. They walked over the bridge in silence. In the background, they are Russian soldiers who are being traded and Ukrainian soldiers who are escorting them to safety.
“Some girls couldn’t control their emotions when they saw our players”said Guardian In his first major interview since his release from a military hospital where he is recovering. Some chanted “Glory to Ukraine,” while others began to sing the national anthem.
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