Today, March 19, 175 Ukrainian defenders have been released from Russian captivity. Another 22 defenders are returning home thanks to measures outside of exchanges – these are seriously wounded soldiers and soldiers who were persecuted by Russia for fictitious crimes.
This was announced by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the President, this is one of the largest exchanges. All soldiers will be provided with the necessary medical and psychological assistance immediately.
“Our soldiers, sergeants and officers are returning. The soldiers who fought for our freedom in the Armed Forces, Navy, National Guard, Territorial Defense Forces and Border Guard. They defended Ukraine in different areas – in Mariupol, at Azovstal, in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, as well as Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kursk regions,” Zelensky wrote.
The President thanked the team involved in the search for Ukrainian prisoners and exchanges for their work and results, and noted that Ukraine would return all prisoners home.
According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the released soldiers include 149 from the Armed Forces and four from the Joint Forces Operation, 11 from the Navy, eight from the National Guard, including three from Azov, and three border guards.
The servicemen defended the city of Mariupol – 31 (including 18 Azovstal defenders), Donetsk region – 74, Luhansk region – 39, Kharkiv region – 8, Kherson region – 5, two each in Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy regions, and participated in combat operations in Kursk region.
Among those rescued from Russian captivity this time are 166 privates and sergeants and nine officers.
