In a new combined exchange, Ukraine returned military and civilians from Russian captivity on August 24.
Points of attention
- Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day with the 68th prisoner exchange with Russia, where military personnel and civilians, including journalists and a doctor, returned home.
- The released defenders come from various defense forces and regions, with some having spent over three years in Russian captivity.
- The servicemen defended key areas in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, including the city of Mariupol, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and regions like Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kyiv.
Ukraine held another prisoner exchange
Today, on Ukraine's Independence Day, another exchange of prisoners of war took place on behalf of the President of Ukraine.
According to the agreements in Istanbul, Ukrainian military personnel were returned home, while eight Ukrainian civilians were released as part of the 68th exchange.
Among the released soldiers are representatives of almost all defense forces: airborne, air, naval, as well as soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Service.
All of the released defenders are privates and sergeants. Almost all of them spent more than three years in captivity.
The servicemen who returned today defended the city of Mariupol, the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, and Sumy regions, and guarded the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Those who fell into the hands of the enemy in the temporarily occupied territories and in Crimea will also see their relatives.
Finally, two Ukrainian journalists are free: Dmytro Khylyuk and Mark Kaliush. They were illegally detained by the occupiers in 2022 and 2023. Among the released civilians is also a medic Serhiy Kovalev from the Hospitallers battalion, who saved the lives of defenders and civilians during the siege of the Azovstal plant.
The former mayor of Kherson, Volodymyr Mykolaenko, who did not cooperate with the occupiers, is also returning home.
The liberated Ukrainians will receive a full range of necessary medical care. Each of them will undergo a medical examination and appropriate treatment. They will also receive state payments, undergo rehabilitation and reintegration into society after prolonged isolation in Russian captivity.
