95 Ukrainian Soldiers, Including Azovstal Defenders, Returned from Russian Captivity

Ukraine successfully secured the return of 95 Ukrainian defenders from Russian captivity in exchange for 95 Russian soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.

Among the released were 69 soldiers and sergeants, along with 26 officers.

According to the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters, this exchange also included the return of many Ukrainian soldiers who had been given lengthy sentences, including 28 individuals who received long-term prison terms and 20 sentenced to life imprisonment by Russian courts for defending Ukraine.

Additionally, some of the returned individuals are suffering from severe health conditions, injuries, and the effects of mistreatment and inadequate nutrition during captivity.

In a statement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the returned defenders had fought in key areas such as Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kherson. “Every time Ukraine rescues its people from Russian captivity, we bring closer the day when freedom is restored to all those held by Russia,” Zelenskyy said. He expressed gratitude to those working on the search and release of prisoners, as well as to international partners assisting in these efforts.

The Coordination Headquarters noted that this was the 58th exchange of prisoners since the start of the war, and to date, a total of 3,767 individuals have been freed from Russian captivity.

This exchange followed an earlier operation, where Ukraine and Russia exchanged the bodies of fallen soldiers. Ukraine repatriated the remains of 501 servicemen, while Russia retrieved 89 bodies.