108 Ukrainian women released from Russian captivity

Ukraine managed to conduct a large-scale prisoner swap. This time 108 women returned home.

This was announced by the Head of the Office of the President, Andrii Yermak.

It was the first female-only exchange.

Among released Ukranians, 35 Ukrainian female defenders are from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 32 – from the Naval Forces, 12 – from the Territorial Defense Forces, 8 – from the National Guard of Ukraine (including two from the Azov Regiment), 5 – from the Ukrainian State Special Transport Service, 4 – from the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service, and 12 civilians.

Among those released were women illegally imprisoned in temporarily occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, who were captured before the large-scale invasion.

“People had been in jail since 2019 in the ‘pseudo-republics’ for an ‘extremely pro-Ukrainian position’, which was expressed in the delivery of humanitarian aid for orphaned children, fabricated ‘espionage’ and ‘terrorism’,” Andrii Yermak reported.

Those who have been freed from Russian captivity will undergo a medical examination and rehabilitation.

On October 13, Ukraine conducted an exchange of prisoners due to which 20 defenders — soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard of Ukraine and Naval Forces — were returned to Ukraine.

On October 11, 32 defenders were returned home: three officers, 28 soldiers and one sailor.

As of October 2, Ukraine has conducted 24 prisoner swaps and returned 808 people from Russian captivity.