Another 100 Ukrainian servicemen have been returned from Russian captivity, the Coordination HQ for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has said.
"As a result of the next exchange of prisoners of war, 80 male and 20 female defenders are returning home. Nine of them are officers, the rest are privates and non-commissioned officers," the HQ said.
Among them are 24 members of the National Guard, 22 border guards, 22 representatives of the Navy, 21 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 11 members of the Territorial Defence. "The liberated defenders took part in battles in the Kherson, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhya and Sumy directions. Among our heroes are the defenders of Mariupol, Bakhmut and Hostomel, as well as the defenders of Chonhar, Snake Island, the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and the Chornobyl nuclear power plant," the Coordination HQ added.
Almost half of the released prisoners have serious injuries, illnesses or have been tortured. The youngest of the liberated defenders is 19 years old.
According to the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, "it was a difficult exchange".