Ukraine hopes to swap Mariupol steel plant fighters for Russian POWs

The Russian parliament plans to take up a resolution on Wednesday to prevent the exchange of Azov Regiment fighters, who held out for months inside the Azovstal steelworks plant while Mariupol was under siege, according to Russian news agencies

Ukrainian servicemen sit in a bus after they were evacuated from the besieged Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant. Picture: AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov

Ukrainian fighters extracted from the last bastion of resistance in Mariupol have been taken to a former penal colony in enemy-controlled territory.

A top military official hopes they can be exchanged for Russian prisoners of war but a Moscow politician said they should be brought to “justice”.