Zelenskyy confirms release of 175 Ukrainians in swap with Russia

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed a prisoner exchange carried out under a 175-for-175 formula, marking the return of Ukrainian servicemen and civilians from Russian captivity.

Writing on Telegram, Zelenskyy said those freed include personnel from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and border guards, ranging from privates and sergeants to officers, as well as seven civilians.

According to the president, the servicemen had been deployed across multiple front lines, including Mariupol, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant area, and the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kyiv and Kursk regions. He added that some of those released are wounded, and that the majority had been held in captivity since 2022.

“And finally — they are home,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian president expressed gratitude to the military units involved in facilitating the exchange, as well as to international partners for their assistance in securing the return of Ukrainian citizens.

“Bringing everyone back from Russian captivity is a matter of principle for us,” he said.

Earlier, a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine began at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, with both sides releasing 175 detainees each, according to reports.

The swap also included the return of seven residents from Russia’s Kursk region who had been held in Ukrainian custody, Belarusian media said.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova and Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets were present at the site to oversee the process. Moskalkova met the released Kursk residents, welcoming them to Belarusian territory and asking about their well-being.

“You have performed a heroic act today by travelling such a great distance,” she told them.

By Aghakazim Guliyev