Russia instantly denounced the discharge with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Ankara had promised beneath the alternate settlement to maintain the lads in Turkey and complained Moscow had not been knowledgeable.
In honour of the five hundredth day of the struggle, Mr Zelensky additionally visited Snake Island, a Black Sea outcrop which Russian forces seized on the day of the invasion and later deserted.
The 5 commanders have been lionised in Ukraine after main a fierce three-month defence of Mariupol from the Azovstal metal plant final 12 months, the largest metropolis Russia has captured.
“We are returning home from Turkey and bringing our heroes home,” mentioned Mr Zelensky, who met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for talks in Istanbul on Friday.
Thousands of civilians have been killed in Mariupol when Russian forces laid town to waste within the first months of the struggle.
In a ceremony later alongside the lads within the western metropolis of Lviv, Mr Zelensky thanked Erdogan for serving to safe their launch and pledged to deliver dwelling all remaining prisoners.
He mentioned that earlier than the outbreak of struggle, "many people in the world still did not understand what we are, what you are, what to expect from us and what our heroes are. Now everyone understands."
The Ukrainian defenders held out in tunnels and bunkers beneath the Azovstal plant, till lastly ordered by Kyiv to give up in May final 12 months.
Moscow freed a few of them in September in a prisoner swap brokered by Ankara, beneath phrases that required the commanders to stay in Turkey till the top of the struggle.
Mr Peskov informed Russia's RIA news company: “No one informed us about this. According to the agreements, these ringleaders were to remain on the territory of Turkey until the end of the conflict.”
He added that the discharge was a results of heavy strain from Turkey's Nato allies forward of subsequent week's summit of the army alliance at which Ukraine hopes to obtain a constructive signal about its future membership.
In his remarks, Mr Zelensky gave no rationalization for why the commanders have been allowed to return dwelling now. Turkey's Directorate of Communications didn't reply to a request for remark.
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