Ukraine has secured the return of 185 military personnel and one civilian from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday, June 5.
More than half of those released were captured during the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, according to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
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The group includes defenders of Mariupol, including a participant in the helicopter missions that supplied the besieged Azovstal steel plant during the city’s defense.
According to the Coordination Headquarters, the returned prisoners include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service, including personnel from the Navy, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Special Operations Forces and Military Law Enforcement Service.
The released Ukrainians fought on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kyiv and Kursk fronts. The group also includes two officers.
According to Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, the exchange included fighters from the Azov Brigade and defenders of Mariupol. All released servicemen had been officially confirmed as prisoners of war through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Lubinets said the youngest returned prisoner is 27 years old and the oldest is 62. For 15 of the released Ukrainians, this June will mark not only their return home but also the first birthday they will celebrate with their families after years in captivity.
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The ombudsman also highlighted the return of a father and son who served in the same brigade and were captured by Russian forces one day apart in 2022.
“Another 185 Ukrainian defenders are returning home from Russian captivity today. Along with the defenders, one civilian is also returning,” Zelensky said.
The president thanked the team responsible for organizing prisoner exchanges, Ukraine’s international partners and Ukrainian forces whose battlefield successes have helped expand the pool of Russian prisoners available for exchanges.
“Returning our people remains an unwavering priority for Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
“We work every day to free every Ukrainian man and woman from captivity.”
The exchange was facilitated with the assistance of the United States and the United Arab Emirates, the Coordination Headquarters said.
All returned Ukrainians will undergo medical examinations, receive treatment and rehabilitation support, and be provided with financial assistance following their release from prolonged captivity.
Ukraine and Russia carried out their 74th prisoner exchange on May 15, resulting in the release of 205 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The swap marked the first stage of a planned 1,000-for-1,000 exchange agreed during US-mediated negotiations.
According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 95% of those released in May had been captured in 2022, many during the defense of Mariupol and the Azovstal steel plant. The exchange included members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service and other branches of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
Ukrainian officials said the prisoner return was facilitated with the assistance of the United States and the United Arab Emirates. All released service members underwent medical examinations, rehabilitation and reintegration programs after returning from captivity.
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