Moscow, March 25 (IANS): Russia's armed forces have taken control of the city of Izyum in Ukraine's Kharkov region, a top official in Moscow confirmed.
Addressing a media briefing, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday that Russian forces also hit 60 Ukrainian military facilities over the past day, including two command posts, two multiple launch rocket systems, four ammunition depots, and 47 sites with equipment and military hardware, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, according to a spokesman for the Regional Military Administration of Ukraine's southern Black Sea port city of Odessa, the city came under shelling from Russian warships on Thursday.
The strikes were aimed at putting "psychological pressure" on Odessa residents, Bratchuk said on Facebook, without providing information on whether there were any casualties in the incident.
Earlier in the day, the press service of the Ukrainian Naval Forces said on Facebook that the military destroyed the Orsk large landing ship of the Russian forces near the southeastern city of Berdyansk.
Ukraine, Russia conduct first prisoner swap
Ukraine and Russia have conducted the first prisoner swap since Moscow waged its war on Kiev on February 24, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
Ten Ukrainian prisoners-of-war held by the Russian military were released in exchange for 10 Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces, Xinhua news agency quoted Vereshchuk as saying in a Facebook post.
Besides, Ukraine handed over 11 civilian Russian sailors, who were rescued from a sunken ship near Odessa to Russia in exchange for 19 Ukrainian civilian sailors, she added.
"Under terms of exchange, the rescue ship itself will also be returned to Ukraine and will be sent to the port in Turkey."