215 Ukrainian defenders released from russian captivity

Ukraine managed to release 215 Ukrainian defenders, including ten foreigners.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and the head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, and the Azov regiment announced this on the telethon.

As noted, Ukrainian gave russians putin's goddaughter's father Viktor Medvedchuk and 55 russian invaders.

"We freed 215 of our people from russian captivity, including 124 officers. Among those freed, 108 were Azov fighters," Yermak emphasized.

Border guards, police officers, sailors, national guardsmen, territorial defense fighters, customs officers, and civilians are also among the released.

In particular, commanders from the Azovstal battle:

• Denys Prokopenko "Redis";
• Serhii Volynskyi "Volyna";
• Sviatoslav Palamar;
• Denys Shleha;
• Oleh Khomenko.

They are all safe now.

As the head of the Office of the President emphasized, this exchange results from personal agreements between the President of Ukraine and the President of Turkey, Erdogan.

In particular, 5 Ukrainian commanders are in Turkey under Erdogan's guarantees of protection and safety.

In addition, Mykola Kush (Frost) and Kostiantyn Nikitenko (Fox), whom the invaders wanted to execute, were among the freed Azov fighters.

It was also possible to return ten foreigners who defended Ukraine as part of the exchange. Among them are those whom the invaders "sentenced" to the death penalty.

"We exchanged 200 of our heroes for Medvedchuk, who has already given all possible evidence to the investigation, and five heroes, Azovstal commanders, for 55 russian prisoners who are of no interest to us," Yermak emphasized.

The president noted that Ukraine was ready to return at least one defender for Medvedchuk and managed to return as many as 200.

According to the acting head of the Security Service, Vasyl Maliuk, since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion, a total of 802 prisoners were returned from captivity.

As Rubryka reported, on September 21, Ukraine returned the defenders of Mariupol from russian captivity, particularly the Azov military.

Among the liberated:

• Mykhailo Vershinin, head of the Mariupol patrol police,
• paramedic Kateryna Polishchuk with the call sign "Bird,"
• senior sergeant of the 36th brigade Mykhailo Dianov,
• military medic Mariana Mamontova, who was pregnant while in captivity.

Read Rubryka's timeline of war: current news on Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression.