Ukraine, Russia conduct another prisoner exchange PHOTO

Ukraine and Russia conducted another round of prisoner exchange on June 26, bringing back dozens of Ukrainian servicemen who had been held in captivity, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.

“We are continuing the exchanges—another stage. Today, soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service are returning,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, Caliber.Az reports. 

According to Zelenskyy, most of the freed servicemen had been in captivity since 2022. The president noted that Ukraine is doing everything to find each person and verify information on every name.

"We must bring all our people home.Thank you to everyone who is helping us in this effort," he wrote.

According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the exchange was carried out under the broader framework of the Istanbul agreements. Among those returned were wounded personnel, soldiers with medical conditions, and many under the age of 25.

The released individuals include members of the Navy, Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, and Border Guard Service. Several had been captured during the defence of Mariupol, including the youngest—now 24—who was taken prisoner at age 21 in April 2022. Others had served at key locations such as the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The oldest of the returned servicemen is 62. Officers were also among those released, and many had fought in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Kyiv, and Sumy regions.

Upon return, the soldiers will receive medical checkups, psychological support, physical rehabilitation, and compensation for their time in captivity, the Coordination Headquarters confirmed.

Officials noted that further exchanges are expected in the near future.

By Sabina Mammadli