Release of Severely Ill Defenders from Captivity
A group of severely ill defenders has been freed from Russian captivity - marking yet another stage of exchange in accordance with the agreements reached in Istanbul.
Today, another prisoner exchange took place focusing on the "severely ill and wounded" category as per the Istanbul agreements. The Coordination Headquarters for the treatment of prisoners, acting on the order of the President of Ukraine, has released a group of defenders suffering from injuries and significant health issues.
Returning to their homeland are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including representatives from the Navy, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, as well as the State Border Guard Service and National Guard of Ukraine.
Each released defender today has serious medical diagnoses and illnesses resulting from injuries and captivity conditions. Many suffer from significant weight loss, dystrophy, ulcers, vision problems, musculoskeletal diseases, cardiovascular issues, and digestive problems.
The majority of the released soldiers have been in captivity for over three years. A significant portion of them was captured during the defense of Mariupol.
All those released today are representatives of the rank-and-file and sergeant corps.
In total, Ukrainians who fought in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, as well as in Zaporizhia and Kyiv regions are returning home.
The freed defenders will undergo all necessary medical examinations, receive assistance for physical and psychological rehabilitation, and all due payments for their time in captivity.
The Coordination Headquarters continues its work and is preparing the next stage of prisoner exchange in the near future.
We are working on bringing everyone back!
Glory to Ukraine!
