On January 31, the 50th exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia took place. Two hundred seven of our defenders were managed to be returned.
New exchange of prisoners on January 31. New details are known
According to the press service of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, on the instructions of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, more than two hundred Ukrainian heroes were returned.
Among the rescued servicemen this time are 95 representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 56 National Guardsmen, 26 border guards, 29 soldiers of the Territorial Defense and one representative of the National Police of Ukraine.
In addition, it is emphasised that 180 members of the Defense Forces who are returning home are private and non-commissioned officers, and another 27 are Ukrainian officers.
At least 36 of them have injuries or serious illnesses. The oldest of the released Defenders has already turned 61, and the youngest will soon turn 21.
Among the released servicemen are defenders of Mariupol, Kherson, fighters from Snake Island, marines and combat medics.
Ukraine returns Azovstal defenders
The coordination headquarters also officially confirmed that junior sergeant Zakhar was rescued from Russian captivity.
He fell into the hands of Russian terrorists together with his wife Tetiana after the evacuation from Azovstal in May 2022.
It is important to understand that the woman was exchanged and returned to Ukraine in the first 6 months. Tatyana settled with her two daughters in Dnipro. However, on January 14, the Russians hit a high-rise building where the family lived with a missile. The defender died under the rubble together with her younger daughter and her husband's mother. Ruslana's eldest 19-year-old daughter is waiting for her father's return today.
In addition, the medics who saved their fellow citizens and civilians at the Mariupol Metallurgical Plant and Azovstal in superhuman conditions are returning home.
The senior lieutenant, who has been defending Ukraine since 2014, returned to his native land, passed through Debaltseve and was twice awarded the Order of Courage. Two brothers, soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Anatoly and Pavlo, were freed from captivity. Another defender of Snake Island was also saved.
Since the full-scale invasion, 3,035 defenders have already been freed from Russian captivity. We express our gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for the help and assistance in organising this exchange.
