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Sixth Ukraine-Russia POW Swap Secures Return of Critically Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukraine has conducted another stage of the prisoner exchange involving severely wounded and seriously ill service members, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on June 21.
The operation was carried out under the Istanbul agreements and on the instruction of the President of Ukraine.
The group returned from Russian captivity includes soldiers and sergeants from various branches of Ukraine’s security and defense forces — the Armed Forces, including the Navy, Ground Forces, Territorial Defense, Air Assault Forces, and Unmanned Systems Forces, as well as the State Border Guard Service and National Guard.
Among those released are defenders of Mariupol who had been held by Russia since 2022.
All of the returned personnel suffer from severe medical conditions, including combat injuries, epilepsy, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, vision impairment, musculoskeletal disorders, hernias, and chronic gastrointestinal illnesses. Many also show signs of extreme weight loss.
The freed defenders will be transported to medical facilities for comprehensive health assessments, treatment, and rehabilitation. They will receive full state support, including the restoration of documents and compensation for the duration of their captivity.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the exchange, stating: "Most of the warriors returning from Russian captivity today have been held for over two years. And now, at last, they are home."
The Coordination Headquarters noted that the exchange process under the Istanbul agreements is ongoing. The exact number of those released will be announced once all stages of the operation are complete.
“We continue working to bring every defender home,” the Headquarters concluded.
Earlier, during recent repatriation efforts, Russia returned the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers — many in severely mutilated condition — and also included the remains of Russian troops among those handed over to Ukraine.
