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Another prisoner exchange has taken place between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 193 people had returned home.
Those released include servicemen from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, the National Police and the State Special Transport Service.
“They defended Ukraine in various directions. Among them are those against whom Russia has opened criminal cases, and there are also wounded”, he said.
According to data from Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the 73rd exchange was a continuation of the Easter exchange and the implementation of relevant agreements.
“A feature of this exchange is that it was possible to return prisoners born in the 2000s, as well as defenders with injuries. Most of those released were illegally held in Chechnya. Criminal cases were fabricated against some of them, which is a violation of the Geneva Conventions”, the headquarters said.
In addition to soldiers and sergeants, several officers were also released. The youngest serviceman is 24 years old; he was captured on the Donetsk front in 2023. The oldest released serviceman is 60. Two of the servicemen will celebrate their birthdays on their home soil today.
Russia said it had returned 193 servicemen from Ukrainian captivity in exchange for 193 Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.