01:05Russia released ten Ukrainian civilian prisoners on Friday in a deal mediated by the Vatican, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nariman Dzhelal, a senior Crimean Tatar politician and two priests from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church were reportedly among those released, in addition to five others allegedly arrested in Belarus for aiding the Ukraine's armed forces.
Footage shows the former detainees being welcomed by their relatives and officials at Kiev airport.
"I am happy to see you and very glad to be in my homeland," Dzhelal said after arriving.
Some of the group were transported by helicopter to Kiev International Airport overnight, marking the first use of the airport since the start of the conflict.
Zelensky later expressed gratitude for the Vatican's efforts to secure the prisoners' release.
It is still unclear whether the release was part of an exchange deal involving Russian prisoners held in Ukraine. The Russian side has not publicly commented on the deal at the time of publication.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
'Glad to be in my homeland' - Ten Ukrainian civilian prisoners return to Kiev as part of Vatican-mediated deal
Russia released ten Ukrainian civilian prisoners on Friday in a deal mediated by the Vatican, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nariman Dzhelal, a senior Crimean Tatar politician and two priests from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church were reportedly among those released, in addition to five others allegedly arrested in Belarus for aiding the Ukraine's armed forces.
Footage shows the former detainees being welcomed by their relatives and officials at Kiev airport.
"I am happy to see you and very glad to be in my homeland," Dzhelal said after arriving.
Some of the group were transported by helicopter to Kiev International Airport overnight, marking the first use of the airport since the start of the conflict.
Zelensky later expressed gratitude for the Vatican's efforts to secure the prisoners' release.
It is still unclear whether the release was part of an exchange deal involving Russian prisoners held in Ukraine. The Russian side has not publicly commented on the deal at the time of publication.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Russia released ten Ukrainian civilian prisoners on Friday in a deal mediated by the Vatican, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Nariman Dzhelal, a senior Crimean Tatar politician and two priests from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church were reportedly among those released, in addition to five others allegedly arrested in Belarus for aiding the Ukraine's armed forces.
Footage shows the former detainees being welcomed by their relatives and officials at Kiev airport.
"I am happy to see you and very glad to be in my homeland," Dzhelal said after arriving.
Some of the group were transported by helicopter to Kiev International Airport overnight, marking the first use of the airport since the start of the conflict.
Zelensky later expressed gratitude for the Vatican's efforts to secure the prisoners' release.
It is still unclear whether the release was part of an exchange deal involving Russian prisoners held in Ukraine. The Russian side has not publicly commented on the deal at the time of publication.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.