Ukraine returns home 45 Azovstal defenders

Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Andriy Yermak noted that 42 military men and three military women were returned from Russian captivity.

“All of them are National Guardsmen from a unit created nine years ago on the Azov coast. 35 privates and sergeants, 10 officers. Among them are soldiers who got married during the defense of Mariupol, at Azovstal,” Yermak wrote.

There is also a soldier who, before the large-scale invasion, had been a prisoner of war for 2.5 years, captured by the Russians during the Shyrokyne operation. He was later released from captivity and immediately returned to his unit. He was captured again at Azovstal and is returning home today.

“Ukrainians are our greatest value. We continue to fulfill President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's task to release all our people together with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War,” Yermak said.

• The owner of the Russian Wagner private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that from now on his soldiers will not take Ukrainian defenders prisoner.