Ukraine has brought home 200 prisoners of war under agreements reached during negotiations in Geneva. Among those released are the Defenders of Mariupol, some of whom spent nearly four years in Russian captivity, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reports.
Most soldiers who return from Russian captivity report severe torture, including starvation, beatings, the deaths of fellow prisoners, and coercion to confess to criminal charges.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed gratitude to the US and to President Donald Trump for their work in helping secure the return of Ukrainians from Russian territory.
Those who returned home include members of:
- the Naval Forces
- the Ground Forces
- the Territorial Defense Forces
- the Unmanned Systems Forces
- the Air Assault Forces
- the Air Force
- the National Guard of Ukraine
- the State Border Guard Service
- the State Special Transport Service
In addition to soldiers and sergeants, officers were also freed
“Every time our people come home, it proves that Ukraine works to bring back every man and every woman. We forget no one. We involve mediators,” President Zelenskyy says.
The released service members defended Ukraine on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia fronts.
Another stage of prisoner releases is expected soon
The freed soldiers will undergo full medical examinations, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, and obtain all state benefits provided by law.
“I am grateful to everyone who helps Ukraine. I thank the US for supporting the implementation of this exchange. I am grateful to all our warriors on the front line who help replenish the exchange fund for Ukraine. Bringing our people home is the result of the strength of Ukrainian defenders,” Zelenskyy adds.
Ukraine has also thanked all agencies and organizations involved for their coordinated efforts to free Ukrainian citizens.
The Coordination Headquarters continues its work and will carry out the next stage of releasing Ukrainian defenders in the near future.
