Ukraine Returns 193 Defenders from Russian Captivity: Two Celebrate Birthdays

Ukraine has conducted another prisoner exchange, resulting in the return of 193 Ukrainian defenders from Russian captivity. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media and by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

According to President Zelenskyy, among the liberated servicemen are representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, the National Police, and the State Special Transport Service. These warriors defended Ukraine in various directions. Among them are those against whom Russia initiated criminal cases, as well as wounded personnel.

The Coordination Headquarters noted that this exchange is a continuation of the Easter exchange and the implementation of relevant agreements. A distinctive feature of the current exchange was the return of young fighters born in the 2000s, as well as wounded defenders. Most of those released were illegally held in Chechnya, and fabricated criminal cases were brought against some of them, which constitutes a direct violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Among the liberated servicemen are a significant number of paratroopers from the Armed Forces, soldiers from the Naval Forces, Territorial Defense, the National Guard of Ukraine, the National Police, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service. In addition to soldiers and sergeants, several officers were also released. The defenders protected the country in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kursk directions. The youngest liberated defender is 24 years old and was captured in the Donetsk direction in 2023. The oldest liberated serviceman is 60 years old. Notably, two of the returned servicemen will celebrate their birthdays on their native land.