-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Maryna Kulakova")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine has managed to return a total of 3,767 people from Russian captivity.
According to Zelenskyy, nearly all those who have returned from captivity require rehabilitation and long-term treatment.
“Torture, humiliation, and hunger are what our Ukrainian people endure in Russian prisons and camps,” Zelenskyy wrote.
He added that he hopes for the assistance of partners, including the Vatican, to help secure the release of the remaining Ukrainians held by Russia.
Previously, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Pope Francis agreed during their meeting at the Vatican that Ukraine will provide the Pontiff with a list of Ukrainian journalists imprisoned in Russia to facilitate their release.
Earlier on October 18, 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.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has assessed that Ukraine's operations in the Kursk region are likely increasing Russia's willingness to engage in prisoner exchanges.
