Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has freed 5,857 people from captivity, plus an additional 555 people outside of exchange deals.
This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Facebook following a meeting with representatives of groups working on the release of captives.
“Today I met with almost everyone on our team who works on freeing captives and helping them. There were representatives of the headquarters, service personnel involved in exchanges, the Office team, and our people who were freed from Russian captivity — defenders from various frontlines, including Mariupol, ‘Azov’ fighters, our paramedic Tayra, and Lenie Umerova — a civilian captured by occupiers in Crimea,” Zelensky said.
He expressed gratitude for the meeting. The participants honored the memory of soldiers killed in the Russian terror attack in Olenivka.
“We discussed the most important thing: returning all our people home and the current stage of prisoner exchanges. We do not stop for a single day. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, we have brought back alive a total of 5,857 people from captivity. Outside of exchanges, there are another 555 people. Following exchanges in Istanbul, over a thousand of our warriors have been returned. We hope to free civilians still held in Russia,” Zelensky emphasized.
He added that it is important to continue exchanges and verify the situation for every single name.
“Every person matters. I am grateful to everyone who is doing their utmost to make exchanges possible and to everyone who helps. Thanks also to our warriors who replenish Ukraine’s exchange fund,” Zelensky stressed.
