Ukraine says 108 women freed in swap with Russia in first all-female exchange

Ukraine announced Monday it had swapped more than 100 prisoners with Russia in what it said was the first all-female exchange with Moscow after nearly eight months of war.

"Another large-scale exchange of prisoners of war was carried out today... we freed 108 women from captivity. It was the first all-female exchange," Andriy Yermak, chief of staff for the Ukraine president's office, said on social media.

In his daily address late on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "96 (of the swapped prisoners) are servicewomen, including 37 evacuees from Azovstal, and 12 are civilians."