President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Telegram that 390 Ukrainian prisoners have been returned home as part of the “1000-for-1000” exchange with Russia.
“We’re bringing our people back home. The first part of the ‘1000-for-1000’ exchange agreement has been carried out. This agreement was reached during a meeting in Turkey, and it’s important that we fully implement it,” Zelensky stated.
According to him, 390 individuals were returned today. The exchange is expected to continue over the weekend.
“I thank everyone who helps, everyone working around the clock to bring Ukrainians home. It is vital to return all those in captivity. We verify every name, every piece of information about each person,” the President emphasized.
He also noted that diplomatic efforts are ongoing to make such steps possible.
According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which made an announcement on Facebook, 270 military personnel and 120 civilians have been released from Russian captivity.
These include service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Navy, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, as well as the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service.
“The freed defenders fought to protect Ukraine in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, and also took part in battles in Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kyiv regions,” the Coordination Headquarters reported.
Among those released today are three women and 387 men.
All those freed from Russian captivity will undergo medical examinations, receive assistance with physical and psychological rehabilitation, be granted all payments owed for their time in captivity, and be reintegrated into society.
The Coordination Headquarters assured that their work continues and that preparations are already underway to receive the next group of released Ukrainian captives.
