Ukraine frees another 50 defenders from Russian captivity: a total of 1,319 heroes return home

“We are returning the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, we are returning the prisoners of war who were in Olenivka, and the wounded, in particular in the battles for the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions,” he wrote.

As Serhii Nikiforov, the Ukrainian president's press secretary, added later, after today's exchange, a total of 1,319 Ukrainian heroes have returned home from Russian captivity.

The defenders from Ukraine's Armed Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Navy, National Guard, and State Border Service are returning home this time. Among them are 4 officers and 46 privates and sergeants.

In particular, 14 defenders of Mariupol returned from captivity, 8 of them - defenders from Azovstal. Most of the freed Ukrainians have wounds and injuries. Some of the rescued have amputated limbs or are unable to move.

Servicemen who returned home from captivity belong, in particular, to the following units:

• Detached Presidential Brigade named after Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi

• 36th Detached Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilinskyi

• 12th Operational Assignment Brigade named after Dmytro Vyshnevetskyi

• 72nd Detached Mechanized Brigade named after Black Zaporozhians

• 114th Detached Territorial Defense Battalion

• 59th Detached Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk

• 28th Detached Mechanized Brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign

• 79th Detached Airborne Assault Brigade

• 56th Detached Motorized Infantry Brigade of Mariupol

• 37th Detached Motorized Infantry Battalion 

• 107th Detached Territorial Defense Brigade

• 115th Detached Mechanized Brigade

• 66th Detached Mechanized Brigade

• 21st Detached Public Order Brigade named after Petro Kalnyshevsky

• 25th Detached Airborne Sicheslav Brigade

• 109th Detached Territorial Defense Brigade

• 14th Detached Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great

• 501st Detached Marine Battalion

• 4th Operational Assignment Brigade named after the Hero of Ukraine Sergeant Serhii Mikhalchuk

• 503rd Detached Marine Battalion

• 21st Detached Motorized Infantry Battalion

• 74th Detached Reconnaissance Battalion

• 24th Detached Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo 

• 34th Detached Motorized Battalion

• 81st Detached Airmobile Brigade,

• 57th Detached Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Kost Hordiienko

• 105th Detached Territorial Defense Brigade

• 8th Detached Mountain Assault Battalion.

The youngest of the released defenders turned 19 years old, and the oldest - 59.

• On November 23, Ukraine returned another 35 Ukrainian soldiers and 1 civilian from Russian captivity.

• On Saturday, November 26, 2022, 12 Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity: three civilians and 9 Ukrainian defenders, who, in particular, defended Mariupol, the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, and Zmiinyi Island.