Ukraine returns another group of seriously ill defenders from captivity – photo
On Thursday, June 19, Ukraine and Russia conducted a new prisoner exchange, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.
According to the head of state, soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Service have returned home. Most of them have been in captivity since 2022.
It was possible to exchange defenders of Ukraine who fought in Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarified that a group of seriously ill defenders was released from captivity. The exchange took place within the framework of the Istanbul Agreements.
Every released soldier has serious medical diagnoses and illnesses resulting from their injuries and captivity. Many have significant weight loss, dystrophy, ulcers, vision problems, musculoskeletal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and digestive problems.
The Coordination Headquarters noted that a significant part of them were captured during the defense of Mariupol. All the defenders liberated today are privates and non-commissioned officers.
- Ukraine and the Russian Federation agreed on the exchange of prisoners of war and bodies of the dead during negotiations in Istanbul on June 2. The process began on June 9. Then the first group of wounded, seriously ill, and those under 25 years old were able to return home.
- On June 10, the second stage of the prisoner exchange took place, during which the wounded soldiers returned.
- On June 12, another stage of the return of soldiers with serious injuries and illnesses took place.
- On June 14, the fourth exchange of prisoners of war in a week was held.
