Ukraine conducted new POW swap: Who was released (photos)
On June 26, Ukraine and Russia carried out another stage of a POW swap. Young defenders under the age of 25, as well as wounded defenders, were returned.
Follow us on Google
Prisoner swap on June 26
Today, June 26, under the Istanbul Agreements, another POW swap took place between Ukraine and Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this.
According to him, servicemen from the Armed Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service are returning home. Most of them had been in captivity since 2022.
“We are doing everything to find each one, verify information on every name. We must bring all our people home,” the President said.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarifies that the group of released includes young defenders under 25 years old, as well as wounded defenders with health issues.
A significant portion of those freed were captured during the defense of Mariupol. National Guardsmen who were protecting the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant were also liberated.
The youngest defender is 24 years old and was captured during the defense of Mariupol in April 2022 at the age of 21. The oldest defender returned to the homeland is 62 years old.
Among those released today are also officers.
In total, the released Ukrainians defended the country in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Kherson, Kyiv, and Sumy directions.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets added that some defenders were previously in the "search" status and had not been confirmed as prisoners by the aggressor country.
As in previous exchanges, the number of those released from captivity has not been disclosed.