Zelenskyy: 205 Ukrainians released in prisoner exchange with Russia PHOTO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed the return of 205 Ukrainian servicemen from Russian captivity as part of what he described as the first stage of a “1,000-for-1,000” prisoner exchange with Russia.

In a statement published on Telegram, Zelenskyy said the released personnel included soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service.

According to the Ukrainian leader, those freed from captivity included privates, sergeants and officers, many of whom had been held by Russia since 2022.

He said they had defended Ukraine in Mariupol and at the Azovstal steel plant, as well as on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kyiv fronts, and at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.

Zelenskyy thanked everyone involved in securing the release of the prisoners, including Ukrainian forces, officials and international partners assisting in the exchange process.

“We will continue fighting for every person who remains in captivity,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev