Ukraine welcomes home 90 soldiers freed from Russian captivity
Photo: V_Zelenskiy_official:
Ukraine and Russia conducted a new exchange of prisoners of war according to the "90 for 90" formula.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that.
"Home is not just words. Home is Ukraine. Today, another 90 of our people returned home from Russian captivity.
Soldiers of the National Guard, the Navy, the Army, the National Guard, and border guards. Those who defended Mariupol. Those who defended the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Those who were on the Kherson, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk fronts," the President noted.
Ukraine's leader expressed gratitude to the UAE for their aid in releasing individuals and the Ukrainian group: Ukraine's intelligence chief Budanov, head of the Office of the President Yermak, head of Ukraine's Security Service Maliuk, Minister of Internal Affairs Klymenko, and Ombudsman Lubinets.
"We hold all of our people in Russian captivity in our thoughts. Our efforts remain focused on securing the freedom of each and every one of them. We relentlessly seek the truth about any individuals the enemy may hold," Zelensky said.
Instead, 90 soldiers were transferred to the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported.
Photo: V_Zelenskiy_official
The Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War indicated that the following individuals had returned home:
- 32 national guardsmen,
- 18 border guards,
- 17 representatives of the Naval Forces,
- 15 soldiers from the Armed Forces,
- and eight territorial defense soldiers.
More specifically, 59 defenders of Mariupol were returned, including 52 fighters who had previously left "Azovstal." Additionally, 5 National Guardsmen who were guarding the Chornobyl nuclear power plant were released from captivity.
Photo: V_Zelenskiy_official
In particular, they participated in the battles for Mariupol, defended the Chornobyl NPP, and served on the Kherson, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk fronts.
Photo: V_Zelenskiy_official
Photo: V_Zelenskiy_official
Photo: V_Zelenskiy_official
For reference:
It should be noted that the last exchange of prisoners took place on May 31. Then, it was possible to return 75 Ukrainian captured soldiers.
