Ukraine will gradually return the troops which were evacuated from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol to the occupied territory, announced by the Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate [MID] of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov on the air of the telethon, according to Dzerkalo Tyzhnya [news portal].
Some Ukrainian servicemen may return home in the near future.
Budanov said that the MID knows about the fate of almost all captured Ukrainian soldiers and is engaged in their return home.
"In the near future, we hope to release a more or less significant number of our prisoners. And it will be immediately reported in the media - wait, watch it," he said.
The most difficult part is the process of exchanging command personnel, division leads. At the same time, the issues regarding the rank and file are much better.
According to the head of the MID, most of the defenders of Mariupol are currently in the prisoner-of-war camp in the temporarily occupied village of Olenivka. However, sometimes some fighters are taken from the settlement "for investigation."
"We know where they are - this issue is always under control. And we are monitoring it,” Budanov stressed.
He did not specify exactly how many Ukrainian servicemen are in russian captivity due to the secrecy of the information. Budanov also did not say whether our country has enough "exchange fund" to release everyone, but assured: "We will be able to bring them back."
The Head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, told LB.ua in an interview that the Azovstal defenders captured by the russians are alive, but the conditions they are being held in are unknown at this time.