On May 15, the first stage of the prisoner exchange in the “1000 for 1000” format took place. 205 defenders returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. This was announced by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
“205 Ukrainians are home. Today, soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Service are returning from Russian captivity. This is the first stage of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange,” he said.
Among those released are privates, sergeants, and officers. Most of them have been in captivity since 2022. They defended Ukraine in Mariupol and at Azovstal, as well as in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhia, Sumy, Kyiv directions and at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
“Thank you to everyone who is working to bring our people home, first of all to our soldiers who replenish the exchange fund for Ukraine, and to our team. I thank all partners who help free Ukrainians from captivity. We will continue to fight for each and every person who still remains in captivity,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the youngest released defender is 21 years old, and the oldest is 62 years old. Upon their return, they will be taken to medical centers for examination, treatment, and rehabilitation, and will also be provided with the necessary assistance, documents, and appropriate payments.
