Ukraine, Russia conduct major POW swap, returning wounded, gravely ill soldiers

Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported the information about swap.

According to the Istanbul agreements, another group of Ukrainian defenders suffering from severe injuries and significant health issues has been returned from Russian captivity.

The soldiers who came home include service members from the Naval Forces, Ground Forces, Territorial Defense, Air Assault Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces, as well as the State Border Guard Service and the National Guard. All of the defenders released today belong to the ranks of privates and sergeants. Among them are also defenders of Mariupol who had been held captive since 2022.

“All those freed today have injuries or serious medical conditions such as epilepsy, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, vision problems, musculoskeletal disorders, hernias, and chronic digestive diseases. Many of them have been diagnosed with significant weight loss. The returned defenders will be taken to medical facilities for thorough examinations, further treatment, and rehabilitation,” the Coordination Headquarters emphasized.

All released individuals will receive the necessary assistance, have their documents restored, and receive the financial compensation owed to them for the duration of their captivity. It was also noted that the exchange process under the Istanbul agreements is ongoing. The exact number of those released will be announced after all stages of the exchange are completed.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the returning defenders come from Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions.

“I’m grateful to everyone involved in bringing our people home. We will continue this work until we bring everyone back. Glory to Ukraine!” the statement reads.