Ukraine and Russia held another prisoner exchange, as part of which 193 Ukrainian soldiers returned from Russian captivity. This was reported by Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to him, servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Service, the National Police, and the State Special Transport Service, who defended Ukraine on various fronts, are returning home. Among those released are wounded defenders, as well as servicemen against whom Russia has opened criminal cases.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that today’s return was a continuation of the Easter exchange. A feature of this stage of the exchange was the return from captivity of defenders born in the 2000s, as well as wounded soldiers. Most of the released were illegally held in Chechnya. Criminal cases were fabricated against some of them, which violates the Geneva Conventions.
In addition to soldiers and sergeants, Ukraine was able to return several officers. The released servicemen defended the country in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Kursk directions.
The youngest of the released defenders is 24 years old. He was captured by the Russians in 2023 in the Donetsk direction. The oldest returned defender is 60 years old. Two servicemen will celebrate their birthdays in Ukraine today.
All those released will undergo a full medical examination, receive assistance with physical and psychological rehabilitation, as well as state payments.
