Russia releases multiple POWs, including Britons sentenced to death and Azovstal defenders

In a deal brokered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Russia has released 10 foreigners it had captured in Ukraine. According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the freed prisoners include citizens from the U.S., Great Britain, Sweden, Croatia, and Morocco. The individuals were flown to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

According to the TV network Al Arabiya, the Saudi prince participated directly in prisoner swap negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. The outlet noted that talks regarding a possible trade of 50 Ukrainians for 200 Russians are ongoing.

BBC reported that British citizens Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin and Moroccan citizen Saaudun Brahim, all of whom were sentenced to death in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in June, were among the freed prisoners.

Relatives confirmed that Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh, two American soldiers who fought alongside Ukrainian forces before their capture, were also freed in the deal.

In addition to the Saudi-facilitated release, Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported Wednesday that multiple defenders of the Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant, which was under siege by Russian troops from March until May, had been released from Russian captivity.