A further 185 Ukrainian defenders are returning home today, 5 June, from Russian captivity. One civilian is also returning alongside the defenders. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service. Privates, sergeants and officers. They defended our country in Mariupol and at Azovstal, as well as in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Sumy, Kyiv and Kursk sectors,” Zelenskyy wrote.
He noted that among them are those returning after years of Russian captivity, having been held since 2022.
“Thank you to everyone who makes this possible: the team handling the exchanges, and our partners. And special thanks to the soldiers who are bolstering our exchange fund – through their strength and achievements on the front line, they are ensuring our people return home. The work continues. Bringing our people home remains an unwavering priority for Ukraine. Every day we are working to free every Ukrainian man and woman from captivity,” wrote the Head of State.
The Coordination Headquarters noted that more than half of the defenders released today were taken prisoner in 2022, some of them during the defence of Mariupol.
The youngest of those released is 26 years old, while the oldest is 62. Among the defenders released today are two officers.
The Coordination Headquarters expressed its gratitude to the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates for their assistance in organising the exchange and the return of Ukrainians home.
All those released will undergo a medical examination, receive treatment, be provided with essential items for the time being, receive appropriate payments, and undergo rehabilitation and reintegration into society following their prolonged isolation in Russian captivity.
Among those released is a participant in the unique helicopter operation – the air bridge to Azovstal.