Ukraine has secured the return of 185 service members and one civilian from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Those released include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service. They include enlisted personnel, sergeants and officers who defended Mariupol and Azovstal, as well as those who fought on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kyiv and Kursk fronts. Some of them had been held captive since 2022.
Zelenskyy thanked the team responsible for prisoner exchanges, Ukraine’s partners and military personnel.
“The work continues. Bringing our people home remains an unwavering priority for Ukraine. Every day we work to free every Ukrainian man and woman from captivity,” the Ukrainian leader said.
According to the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which reported on the exchange, the 75th prisoner swap took place with the assistance of the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
The youngest person released is 26 years old, while the oldest is 62. Two officers were among those freed.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed the exchange under a “185-for-185” formula. The Russian service members returned in the swap are currently in Belarus, where they are being assisted by Ombudsperson Yana Lantratova.
