On January 3, more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were returned from Russian captivity to Ukraine. Among them are some defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal.
More than 200 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were returned from captivity
President Volodymyr ZelenskyY reported that among those who returned home were soldiers, sergeants, officers, soldiers of the Armed Forces, National Guard, Navy, and border guards. Some of the released soldiers have defended Mariupol and Azovstal.
Thank you to everyone who, despite all the difficulties, brings our people home! Thanks to our defenders! We will do everything to return all our people who are currently in Russian captivity.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (CHTRW) reports that 230 Ukrainian citizens have been returned from captivity. This is the largest exchange in terms of the number of returned defenders.
Among them, there are 130 representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (including 14 of AFU Territorial Defense, 14 of the Navy), 55 of the National Guard, 38 of the State Border Guard Service, 1 of the National Police, and six civilians who were illegally deprived of their freedom.
According to the headquarters, among those returned were those who had the official status of prisoners of war, confirmed through the International Committee of the Red Cross (182 persons), as well as those Ukrainian servicemen who were considered missing and had the status of "missed in action" (48).
Most of those released are men (225), five are women. 213 people belong to the ranks and sergeants, eleven are officers.
