Ukraine has brought home 270 people from Russian captivity. This was reported by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Those freed from captivity include National Guard personnel, in particular fighters from the Azov Regiment, border guards, Territorial Defence troops, service members of the Navy, the Ground Forces, the Air Assault Forces and the State Special Transport Service, as well as nine civilians.
According to the President, most of the freed defenders have been held captive since 2022. Most of them defended Mariupol.
Also returning home are service members who fought on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Chernihiv fronts. Many of them were unlawfully convicted in Russia.
Among those freed are five people who were believed to have been killed during the Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka in July 2022.
As Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported, this time it was possible to bring back the largest number of convicted service members.
Two of the freed fighters were taken captive back in 2018 and 2020. Seriously ill and severely wounded defenders have also been brought home.
The youngest person freed is 24, the oldest is 63. One of the service members has a birthday tomorrow and will turn 60.
“We remember each and every one, and we continue searching for everyone. Thank you to all those working to make these exchanges happen,” Zelenskyy said.
The President also thanked Ukrainian service members who are replenishing the exchange pool, making it possible to bring Ukrainians back from captivity.
- The previous prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place on 24 August. At that time, 115 defenders returned to Ukraine.
- The day before, 103 Ukrainians were brought back from captivity on 19 August.