Russia announces first prisoners exchange with Ukraine

• 

Nine Russian servicemen were released during a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, according to Human Rights Commissioner in Russia Tatyana Moskalkova.

"The first exchange happened. We returned nine of our boys," she said in an interview for RT, confirming that Russian servicemen were exchanged for the mayor of Melitopol.

Earlier, media reported on the exchange of nine Russian servicemen for the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, citing the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Last month, the Russian army has made its way to the city of Mariupol, Al Mayadeen correspondent reported, citing sources familiar with the developments.

"The Donbass popular army has also reached Mariupol' from the east, and sources said the Russian army is advancing toward Nikolayev from several sides in order to encircle the city," our correspondent added.

Sources informed the correspondent that the Russian armed forces aim to encircle Odessa from the north after isolating it from the Black Sea, noting that the Ukrainian army has been suffering from an en masse desertion on its various fronts in the south.

Reliable Russian sources informed Al Mayadeen correspondent in Russia that Moscow had ordered its forces to neutralize the military capabilities of extremist Ukrainian groups and prioritize capturing them.

Russia had launched a special military operation for several reasons, such as NATO's eastward expansion, the Ukrainian shelling of Donbass, and the killing of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, in addition to Moscow's intention of denazifying and demilitarizing Ukraine.