Return of Soldiers: Key Updates
On April 19, Ukraine welcomed back 277 soldiers, with 246 released as part of a prisoner exchange and 31 individuals freed outside of this process.
Source: President Volodymyr Zelensky, Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Direct quote: "Another 277 of our soldiers have come home from Russian captivity.".
Among them are the Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Guard of Ukraine, State Special Transport Service, and border guards who defended Mariupol and other critical areas in Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk.
Details: Zelensky thanked everyone involved in the organization of the exchange, particularly highlighting the role of the United Arab Emirates.
According to the Coordination Headquarters, 246 military personnel returned as part of the exchange, while 31 individuals were freed outside of it.
The majority of those returned are youth born after 2000. Among the returnees is a female service member who had been in captivity since May 2022.
Of the released, 268 are enlisted personnel and sergeants, with 9 officers also returning.
This exchange is the fourth this year and the 63rd since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Only this year, 596 Ukrainians have been returned through exchanges, and 53 defenders have been freed outside of exchanges.
Since March 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has freed a total of 4552 Ukrainian citizens through negotiations and exchanges, with an additional 529 individuals freed outside of exchanges.
