Return of Soldiers from Captivity: New Hope and Victories

On April 19, Ukraine celebrated a significant event — the return of 277 servicemen, of whom 246 were part of an exchange agreement, and 31 individuals were freed outside of it.

Source: President Volodymyr Zelensky, Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Quote: "We are pleased to announce that 277 soldiers have returned home from Russian captivity."

Among the freed were servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Transport Service, and border guards, who defended Mariupol and other areas in Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Luhansk.

President Zelensky thanked everyone involved in organizing the exchange, particularly highlighting the role of the United Arab Emirates in this process.

The Coordination Headquarters reported that of the 246 returned, most are young individuals born after 2000. Among them was also a female serviceman who had been in captivity since May 2022.

Of the freed, 268 are privates and sergeants, along with 9 officers.

This exchange is the fourth in 2023 and the 63rd since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Since the start of the year, 596 Ukrainians have been returned through exchanges, and 53 defenders have been freed outside of exchanges.

Since March 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has liberated 4552 Ukrainian citizens through negotiations and exchanges, and additionally 529 individuals have been freed from Russian captivity.