As part of another exchange of prisoners of war, 140 more Ukrainians were released on New Year’s Eve.

Andrii Yermak, head of the President’s Office, reported about this.

This is 132 men and eight women, there are 22 officers and 118 sergeants and soldiers among them.

“In the New Year, we do not only repel the enemy’s missile attacks, but also return our people. This is another big swap that has been carried out: 140 people are returning home,” Andrii Yermak said.

Among the released:

• 82 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,
• 15 from the Territorial Defense Forces,
• 22 soldiers from the National Guard,
• 11 from the Navy,
• 10 from the State Border Service of Ukraine.

“There are wounded, as well as defenders of Mariupol, Zmiinyi Island, volunteers of the Territorial Defense Forces from Slavutych, and fathers and sons who were together in captivity, and our people from the Bakhmut direction. Welcome home, dear ones,” said the head of the President’s Office.

As Yermak emphasized: “We will return everyone. It cannot be otherwise.”

In turn, the Ministry of Defense of Russia announced on Saturday the release of 82 Russian servicemen from captivity.

According to official information, about 3,300 Ukrainian servicemen are currently in captivity.

According to Olena Verbytska, adviser to the President and Ombudswoman for ensuring the rights of defenders, another 15,000 have gone missing.

“We don’t know what happened to them. Whether they are Russian prisoners of war, were they forcibly removed from the territories occupied by Russia, or perhaps they were killed a long time ago,” Verbytska said.

Verbytska insists that Russia is denying the Red Cross access to POW camps, and is violating the Geneva Convention.