Ukraine Returns 207 Fighters From Russian Captivity
- 31.01.2024, 16:00
It became known who was among them.
Today, on January 31, an exchange of prisoners took place between Ukraine and Russia. 207 Ukrainians came back home.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
"Our people are back home. 207 guys. We return them despite everything. We remember each and every prisoner of war. Soldiers and civilians. We must return them all. We are working on it," the President of Ukraine wrote.
According to the head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, among the Ukrainians who returned home are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, as well as the National Police - privates, sergeants and officers. Among the warriors, there are defenders of Mariupol who were on Azovstal, Snake Island, as well as those who fought in many areas.
The 50th exchange of prisoners
According to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Lubynets, today the 50th exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia took place.
“The guys who have heard the voices of their relatives for a long time were overwhelmed with emotions today. Families who are waiting for their fathers, sons, brothers reacted no less emotionally to the calls," Lubynets said. He also added that rehabilitation awaits the warriors.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv and Moscow have conducted many exchanges of prisoners of war. Even though the enemy has frozen the process since August, already on January 3, the largest exchange of prisoners since the beginning of the war took place between the countries. At the same time, 230 defenders returned home.
On January 24, Ukraine and Russia were to hold the 50th exchange of prisoners, but it was disrupted due to the crash of the IL-76 aircraft near Belgorod. The Russians said that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners were allegedly on board the plane. But Ukraine does not confirm this.
Later, the GUR (Ukrainian Defence Intelligence) noted that the disrupted exchange was supposed to be one of the largest during the war.