Today, another stage of a large-scale exchange of prisoners in the category of ‘seriously ill and wounded’ took place, in accordance with the agreements reached in Istanbul.
This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
"On the instructions of the President of Ukraine, a group of defenders with injuries and significant health problems have been released from Russian captivity. Servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including representatives of the Navy, Airborne Assault Forces, Territorial Defence Forces, as well as the State Border Service and the National Guard of Ukraine, have returned to their homeland," the statement said.
The Coordination Headquarters noted that each of the defenders released today has serious medical diagnoses and illnesses as a result of injuries and captivity. Many of them have significant weight loss, dystrophy, ulcers, vision problems, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and digestive problems.
Most of the released soldiers had been in captivity for over three years. A significant number of them were captured during the defence of Mariupol. All of the defenders freed today are privates and sergeants. They fought in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv Regions, as well as in Zaporizhzhya and Kyiv Regions.
‘The defenders released from captivity will undergo all necessary medical examinations, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation assistance, as well as all due payments for the entire period of their captivity. The Coordination Headquarters continues its work and is preparing the next stage of prisoner exchange in the near future. We are working to bring everyone back!’ the statement said.
- During the June negotiations with the Russian delegation in Istanbul, Ukraine agreed to exchange seriously ill prisoners. The first stage took place on 9 June, the next on 10 June. The third stage was on 12 June.