Today, after another exchange, 45 Ukrainian defenders returned from Russian captivity. A total of 1,183 prisoners were freed from February 24.
Andrii Yusov, a representative of the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, announced this on the air of the telethon.
"Another exchange has just ended, and 45 Ukrainian defenders have returned home, which means that a total of 1,183 Ukrainians have already returned home as a result of exchanges since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression, and work continues on further exchanges," Yusov said.
Among those who returned today are representatives of the 58th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Hetman Vyhovsky, the 53rd separate mechanized brigade, the 30th separate mechanized brigade, the separate motorized infantry battalion "Polyssia" and the separate special purpose brigade named after Bohun. All defenders are representatives of private and non-commissioned officers. They need a long rehabilitation process; among them, there are also wounded, Yusov noted. Military personnel was captured in the east of Ukraine.
Yusov also assured that Ukraine would work on the return of all its prisoners who are currently in the hands of the enemy. In addition, an exchange fund is currently being actively formed at the expense of Russian troops, which the Russian command left to fend for themselves in the temporarily occupied territories.
- On October 11, Ukraine returned 32 soldiers and the body of fallen Israeli Dmytro Fialka from Russian captivity. On October 13, there were 20 military men, and on October 17, there were 108 Ukrainian women, including 37 evacuees from Azovstal.
- On October 26, Ukraine freed 10 soldiers from captivity and took the body of an American volunteer. On October 29, Ukraine returned from captivity to 52 soldiers who defended Mariupol.
- On November 3, another 107 soldiers returned home, including 74 defenders of Azovstal.