Long-Awaited Exchange: Ukraine Has Brought Home 270 Ukrainians from Russian Captivity
As part of the negotiation process, Ukraine has repatriated 270 people from Russian captivity. Among them are 261 military personnel and nine civilians. The exchange was carried out on the orders of the President of Ukraine with the participation of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
This is the third phase of a combined prisoner exchange that began on August 19.
Those returning home include servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU)—specifically from the Navy, the Army, the Airborne Forces, the Special Forces, the Transport Troops, the Special Operations Forces, and the Military Police—as well as fighters from the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service, and a rescuer from the State Emergency Service.
More than half of the defenders freed today were taken prisoner in 2022, specifically during the defense of Mariupol.
Five of them survived the terrorist attack in Olenivka in the infamous “Barrack 200.”
Another nine are seriously ill.
In total, the servicemen returning home fought in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Chernihiv sectors, as well as defenders of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Among those released today are 38 officers. There are also servicemembers among them who were taken captive in 2018 and 2020.
A significant number of the defenders freed today faced criminal prosecution by the aggressor country and, in violation of international law, were sentenced to various prison terms—including life imprisonment—on fabricated charges.
All those released will undergo medical examinations, receive treatment, be provided with essential supplies for the time being, receive appropriate compensation, and undergo rehabilitation and reintegration into society after prolonged isolation in Russian captivity.
“We
express our gratitude to the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates; and in particular, we thank everyone who contributed to the release of Stephen Gabbard—a 74-year-old English teacher from Izyum, whom the Russians unlawfully convicted and subjected to torture. We also thank all relevant government agencies and organizations for their coordinated efforts aimed at freeing our citizens,” the statement reads.
This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
As a reminder, Ukraine and Russia carried out a prisoner exchange on a 270-for-270 basis.
On October 23, Ukraine returned seven more civilians from the occupied territories to government-controlled areas. Among them were a 90-year-old woman with limited mobility, a 50-year-old Ukrainian woman with serious health conditions, as well as a young woman and her child.
Prior to this, as a result of repatriation efforts, the bodies of 252 deceased individuals—who, according to the Russian side, were Ukrainian servicemen—were returned to Ukraine. This was reported by representatives of the relevant Ukrainian agencies.
Earlier, the Russian side had handed over the bodies of 252 deceased servicemen to Ukraine. The repatriation of the bodies was carried out in accordance with agreements between the parties.
