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Russia to keep working to return its soldiers back home — negotiator

"Russians do not leave their own behind," Vladimir Medinsky said

MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. Russia will continue its effort to bring back home all of its captured soldiers, the country’s lead negotiator, Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, said.

"As part of the Istanbul agreements, our warriors have started to return home from captivity. Some of them are very young, but I can’t bring myself to call them boys. They did not break. They fought to the bitter end," he wrote on Telegram. "We will continue our work so that all of them return to their motherland as quickly as possible."

"Russians do not leave their own behind," Medinsky added.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in accordance with the June 2 agreements, the first group of Russian servicemen aged under 25 returned to Russia on June 9. The same number of Ukrainian prisoners was handed over to the armed forces of Ukraine.

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