Today, 15 May, Ukraine and Russia carried out the first stage of the prisoner-of-war exchange. A total of 205 Ukrainians have returned home, including 20 fighters from the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine Azov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this in a Telegram post, while the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War also confirmed the exchange.
“Today, soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service are returning from Russian captivity. This is the first phase of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange,” the head of state said.
Those released include privates, sergeants and officers. Most of them had been held in Russian captivity since 2022. They defended Ukraine in Mariupol and Azovstal, as well as in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Sumy and Kyiv regions, and at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Brigadier General Denys ‘Redis’ Prokopenko reported that 20 fighters from the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine Azov had returned, 19 of whom were defenders of Mariupol.
Almost all the servicemen released today had been held captive for four years. Most were taken prisoner during the defence of Mariupol. According to the Coordination HQ, the duration of captivity is the key criterion used in compiling the “1,000-for-1,000” exchange lists.
In addition to soldiers and sergeants, more than 50 officers have been brought home. Among those released today is a National Guard serviceman who was captured at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The youngest released defender is 21 years old, while the oldest is 62.
In total, Ukrainians who fought in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Sumy and Kyiv regions are returning home.
The defenders will be sent to medical centres to undergo all necessary examinations, further treatment and medical rehabilitation. They will be provided with the necessary assistance, receive documents and the appropriate financial payments.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of Wae expressed gratitude to the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates for their important mediation and assistance. They also announced the next stages of the “1,000 for 1,000” exchange and reported that work is ongoing to implement other prior agreements.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently stated that the “1,000 for 1,000” prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia is being prepared and is due to take place.
- Subsequently, Ukraine handed over to Russia a list of 1,000 prisoners of war whom it hoped to bring home as part of the US-mediated negotiations that had taken place the previous day. The list was compiled based on the length of time spent in captivity.
- On 8 May, US President Donald Trump stated that, on his initiative, Ukraine and Russia had agreed to a ceasefire from 9 to 12 May and the exchange of 1,000 prisoners. The weekend passed, but no exchange took place, and on the 9th, Russian leader Vladimir Putin attempted to accuse Ukraine of failing to hand over the lists.