Ukrainians released from Russian captivity in another POWs exchange
Photo: Ukraine and Russia exchange prisoners (t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
Ukraine and Russia have held a new stage of a major prisoner exchange. Today, on June 20, wounded and severely ill Ukrainian defenders returned home, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"Most of the warriors returning today from Russian captivity had been held for over two years. And now, at last, they are home," the President says.
These are the defenders of Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions. Representatives of the Navy, Army, Airborne Forces, the Special Forces, the Unmanned Systems Forces, as well as the Border Guard and the National Guard, have returned home.
Wounded and severely ill
The Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War notes that the released soldiers have serious injuries and significant health problems.
"All of the liberated defenders have been injured or have serious medical diagnoses: epilepsy, hypertension, coronary heart disease, vision problems, musculoskeletal diseases, hernias, and chronic digestive diseases. Many of the liberated have been diagnosed with weight loss," the statement says.
All of the Ukrainian defenders released today are soldiers and non-commissioned officers. Among the liberated are the defenders of Mariupol, who had been held captive since 2022.
The Coordination Center added that the exchange process is ongoing, and the exact number of people released will be announced after all stages of the exchange are completed.
Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets clarifies that the oldest released was 60 years old.
Prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia
Overall, Ukraine and Russia have conducted 2 large-scale prisoner exchanges. The first took place after the first round of negotiations in Istanbul. It took place in 3 stages, with both sides releasing 1,000 prisoners each.
During the second round of negotiations in Turkey on June 2, the delegations of Ukraine and Russia again reached an agreement on the exchange of prisoners. The parties agreed to exchange all wounded and seriously ill soldiers, as well as all prisoners aged 18 to 25.
As part of these agreements, 4 exchanges have already taken place - on June 9, 10, 12, 14, and 19. Yesterday, June 19, Ukraine returned a group of wounded and severely ill defenders from Russian captivity.
Most of those released the day before had been in captivity since 2022. The defenders, who fought in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kyiv regions, returned home.
In addition, in Istanbul, the parties agreed to return bodies in the format of 6,000 for 6,000. Three stages of the return of 1,200 bodies have already taken place.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that Russia was handing over the bodies of Russian soldiers to Ukraine. One of these cases has been documented.
