Prisoner exchange: 300 more Ukrainian soldiers return from Russia

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

KYIV, UKRAINE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that another 300 Ukrainian defenders have been rescued from Russian captivity and returned home.

The large-scale prisoner exchange also secured the freedom of two civilians alongside the military personnel who defended the country on various fronts.

Many held for over a year

The 300 rescued individuals include officers, sergeants, and privates serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the National Guard, and the Border Guard Service. According to the reports, the returning soldiers are heroes who served on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and notably the Mariupol fronts. It was noted that the majority of those rescued had spent more than a year in captivity, with some having been held prisoner since 2022.

In his statement, President Zelenskyy thanked the soldiers who secured the "exchange fund" for Ukraine, as well as the entire team that organized the process. Zelenskyy also extended special gratitude to the United States government for its mediation in the exchange process, stating:

"It is extremely important that the agreements worked. We remember everyone and we must bring all our people back."

Exchange process continues

Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide and head of the Russian negotiation team, had recently indicated that a large-scale prisoner exchange in a "500 for 500" format could be carried out. Following the momentum generated by this announcement, it was reported yesterday that 200 Ukrainian soldiers had also been rescued from enemy captivity. Furthermore, it was noted that marines from the Mykolaiv (Nikolaev) Brigade were among those who returned.

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