Russian military says it has exchanged 195 soldiers with Ukraine

It said its own soldiers would be flown to Moscow to receive medical and psychological treatment. It was the first such exchange since the crash of a Russian military transport plane last week that Moscow says was carrying 65 Ukrainian soldiers ahead of a planned exchange.

The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday it had completed an exchange deal with Ukraine under which each side got 195 soldiers back. It said its own soldiers would be flown to Moscow to receive medical and psychological treatment.

It was the first such exchange since the crash of a Russian military transport plane last week that Moscow says was carrying 65 Ukrainian soldiers ahead of a planned exchange. Russia says Ukraine shot down the plane with a ground-to-air missile and that all 74 people on board were killed.

Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied that it downed the plane, and has demanded proof of who was on board.