Ukraine brings home wounded and ill soldiers held since 2022

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the exchange on his Telegram channel.

Among those returning to Ukraine are service members of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service. Most had been held captive since 2022. These defenders fought in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kyiv regions.

“We are working to bring our people back. I thank everyone who helps make these exchanges possible. Our goal is to free every single one of them,” Zelenskyy added.

According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a group of seriously ill defenders was released from Russian captivity. The latest exchange was carried out under the Istanbul agreements.

"Today marked another stage of the major prisoner exchange under the category of 'seriously ill and wounded,' in line with the Istanbul agreements. Under the President’s directive, the Coordination Headquarters secured the release of defenders suffering from injuries and serious health issues," the statement reads.

Among the returned Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel are members of the Navy, Air Assault Forces, and Territorial Defense Forces.

Each freed defender is dealing with severe medical conditions and illnesses caused by injuries and time spent in captivity. Many suffer from extreme weight loss, dystrophy, ulcers, vision problems, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, and digestive issues.

Most of the returned soldiers had been held for more than three years, with a large number captured during the defense of Mariupol. All those freed today are from the ranks of enlisted and non-commissioned officers.

The released soldiers will undergo necessary medical examinations, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation support, and be granted all due payments for their time in captivity.

The Coordination Headquarters emphasized that preparations for the next stage of the prisoner exchange are already underway.