A total of 270 Ukrainians returned home on 23 October following a prisoner exchange with Russia. This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"270 of our people are home. This is a very important result. National Guard members, including Azov fighters, border guards, Territorial Defence personnel, servicemen from the Navy, Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces and State Special Transport Service, as well as nine civilians, are returning home. Most of them had been held captive since 2022," Zelenskyy said.
According to the President, most of those released are servicemen who defended Ukraine in Mariupol. The exchange also brought home defenders who fought in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Chernihiv sectors.
Many had been illegally convicted in Russia. Among those returning are five people who had been presumed dead following the Russian terrorist attack on the Olenivka prison in July 2022.
"We remember every single one of them and continue searching for everyone. I thank all those working to make these exchanges possible. And, of course, I am grateful to our soldiers on the front line who replenish Ukraine's exchange pool so that we can bring our people home. Glory to Ukraine!" Zelenskyy emphasised.
According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 38 officers were among those released from Russian captivity on 23 October. Some of the servicemen had been held captive since 2018 and 2020.
"As a result of the negotiation process, the Coordination Headquarters, acting on the instructions of the President of Ukraine, secured the release of 261 Ukrainian servicemen from Russian captivity. An additional nine civilians were also returned home. This marks the third stage of a combined prisoner exchange that began on 19 August," the statement said.
Those returning include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the Navy, Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces, State Special Transport Service, Territorial Defence Forces, Special Operations Forces and Military Law Enforcement Service, as well as personnel from the National Guard, State Border Guard Service and a rescuer from the State Emergency Service.
"More than half of the defenders released today were captured in 2022, including during the defence of Mariupol. Five of them survived the terrorist attack in Olenivka, in the notorious Barrack No. 200. Another nine are seriously ill," the Coordination Headquarters noted.
The returning servicemen fought in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Chernihiv sectors, while others defended the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Among those released are 38 officers. Some of the servicemen had been held captive since 2018 and 2020.
A significant number of the released defenders had faced criminal prosecution in Russia and, in violation of international law, were sentenced on fabricated charges to various prison terms, including life imprisonment.
The Coordination Headquarters emphasised that all those released will undergo medical examinations, receive treatment and essential supplies, and be provided with the payments to which they are entitled. They will also 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. In particular, we thank everyone who contributed to the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old English teacher from Izium who was illegally convicted and tortured by Russian forces," the Coordination Headquarters stated.
It also thanked all relevant government institutions and organisations for their coordinated efforts to secure the release of Ukrainian citizens.
