Ukraine has completed another stage of prisoner exchanges with Russia, resulting in the return of Ukrainian defenders from the Armed Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, most of the released individuals had been in Russian captivity since 2022.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“We continue with the exchanges, and here is another stage. Today, warriors from the Armed Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service are returning. Most of them have been in captivity since 2022,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Details of the Exchange and Features of the Release
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarified that this time, young soldiers under the age of 25, as well as those who are injured or have serious health issues, were successfully brought back home. Among the released are representatives from the Navy, Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
Most of the servicemen were captured during the defense of Mariupol and spent over three years in Russian captivity. Among the returned soldiers, the youngest is 24 years old: he was captured in April 2022 when he was only 21. National guardsmen who were guarding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant were also released.
Support and Rehabilitation of the Released
Among the released are officers, with the oldest being 62 years old. The Ukrainian military participated in combat operations in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Kyiv, and Sumy directions. After their return, all released individuals undergo medical examinations, receive assistance for physical and psychological rehabilitation, as well as appropriate monetary compensation for the entire period of captivity.
According to the headquarters, efforts to bring back Ukrainian captives are ongoing, and the next stage of the exchange is expected soon.
The previous exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place on June 20. On June 2, in Istanbul, delegations from Ukraine and Russia agreed to focus on the exchange of severely wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war, as well as young soldiers aged 18 to 25. An agreement was also reached separately for the return of 6,000 bodies of fallen soldiers.
