On Wednesday, January 3, Ukraine returned 230 soldiers who defended Mariupol and Azovstal from Russian captivity. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in his Instagram.
"Ours are at home. More than two hundred of our soldiers and civilians were returned from Russian captivity. Soldiers, sergeants, officers. Soldiers of the Armed Forces, National Guard, Navy, border guards. Part of the defenders defended Mariupol and Azovstal, — Zelensky signed the video.
Kyrylo Budanov came to meet the released Ukrainian defenders.
The head of the GUR stated that this exchange was being prepared for a long time.
"Participation, let's say, in the organization of this process was also directly provided by the side of the United Arab Emirates, and with its help we were able to do it together", - he said.
В to the coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war reported, that the largest exchange of prisoners of war took place during the full-scale invasion.
230 defenders are returning home. Among them, there are 130 representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (including 14 of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 14 of the Navy), 55 of the National Guard, 38 of the State Border Guard Service, 1 of the National Police, and six civilians who were illegally deprived of their liberty.
Among those returned were those who had the official status of prisoners of war, confirmed through the International Committee of the Red Cross (182 persons), as well as those Ukrainian servicemen who were considered missing and had the status of "wanted persons" (48).
Most of those released are men (225), five are women. 213 people belong to the ranks and sergeants, eleven are officers.
"After exhausting months of captivity, a combat medic from the 36th OBrMP, in particular, returned. While in captivity, she basically spoke Ukrainian. The Russians simulated taking her out for exchange several times, but as a result, they returned her to the place of detention. Finally, the seven defenders of the Zmiiny Island, a musician of the military band, a servicewoman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who was deprived of her freedom by the Russians while on maternity leave, national guardsmen who were captured while performing their duties at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a civilian teacher of the East Ukrainian National University will finally see their relatives and loved ones. V. Dalya, defenders of Mariupol", said the message.
Release of prisoners commented Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak.
"Difficult exchange after a long pause. This is a result that was made possible by the great efforts of the team. The enemy held prisoner civilian teachers, as well as a policeman who remained in Mariupol until the last, delivering humanitarian aid to people."
Those released from captivity were met by the head of the Coordination Staff for the treatment of prisoners of war Kyrylo Budanov, a member of the Coordination Staff, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, Secretary of the Staff Dmytro Usov.
This is the 49th exchange of prisoners since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the first in 2024. So far, Ukraine has managed to return home 2828 defenders. According to GUR data, today's exchange is the largest in terms of the number of Ukrainians who have returned home.
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