Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets showed the first emotions of the released Ukrainian defenders from Russian captivity on July 17.
Points of attention
- As a result of the POW exchange between Ukraine and Russia, 95 Ukrainian defenders were returned home on July 17.
- Among the released military personnel of various compositions were members of the defence of different regions of Ukraine, including Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk and others.
- Many of the returned soldiers suffer from injuries and chronic diseases that require long-term treatment.
- Ukraine has already conducted 54 prisoner exchanges, for which the United Arab Emirates became the Mediator State.
The first emotions of Ukrainian defenders at home
The footage shows how Ukrainian soldiers do not hold back their emotions after returning home from Russia's captivity.
It is impossible to hold back feelings! Welcome back to Homeland! — wrote the Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets.
The returned soldier calls his loved ones. Conversations with relatives are touching! These are the moments for which a large team of people works!, Lubinets comments.
On July 17, Ukraine freed 95 military service members from Russia's captivity
Ukraine exchanged prisoners with Russia. Another 95 Ukrainians were returned home. These are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and border guards.
Among those released are 49 soldiers of the Armed Forces, including a member of the "air bridge" who voluntarily flew a helicopter to "Azovstal" to help the blocked units there.
Also, two Air Force soldiers, 21 national guardsmen, ten military sailors, seven Territorial Defence fighters, five border guards, two employees of the State Special Transport Service and one defender from the voluntary formation of the territorial community were released from captivity.
All those released this time are men: 88 privates and sergeants, seven officers.
Among those released from captivity, 23 people defended Mariupol, thirteen of them were defenders of "Azovstal", 41 soldiers fought in the Donetsk direction, nine - in Luhansk, the same number - in Zaporizhia, three each - in Kherson and Kharkiv.
One of the released sailors was in the Kyiv region at the start of the full-scale Russian invasion and immediately joined the defence of his village as part of the Makariv Community Territorial Defence. While providing humanitarian aid to the locals, he was captured by Russian service members from Buryatia.
Many Ukrainian soldiers returning from captivity suffer from the consequences of injuries and have chronic diseases that require long-term treatment. Most of the military have been captured by Russia since 2022. Also among those released is a defender who was considered missing.
The United Arab Emirates became an intermediary state in this prisoner exchange, the 54th since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. In total, the Coordination Headquarters managed to return 3,405 people from Russian captivity.
