Ukraine and Russia carried out a new prisoner exchange on Friday, with each side returning 160 prisoners of war.
Earlier on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 160 Ukrainians had returned home from Russian captivity.
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The latest exchange brought home servicemembers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the State Special Transport Service, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service.
According to Zelensky, those released had fought in Mariupol and at the Azovstal steel plant, as well as on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy fronts.
“We continue bringing Ukrainians home from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said.
He thanked the Ukrainian team involved in negotiating and organizing prisoner exchanges, as well as frontline units, saying their actions help create opportunities for future exchanges.
“Special thanks to all our units on the front line that replenish Ukraine’s exchange fund, and through their bravery, make it possible for us to bring our people home,” Zelensky said.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, welcomed the released prisoners home, saying he knew how long they had waited and how difficult their captivity had been.
He said their first phone calls to loved ones and reunions with fellow servicemembers represented “real, genuine happiness” shared by all of Ukraine.
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The president said Ukraine continues working to secure the release of everyone still held by Russia.
“We remember everyone who remains in captivity. We are checking every single name. We must bring everyone back – both military personnel and civilians,” he said.
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