205 People Returned: Ukraine and Russia Exchange Prisoners

Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners. Soldiers of the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and 20 civilians returned to Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this. This is the 69th exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia.

According to the President, 185 soldiers of the Defense Forces were returned to Ukraine. These are soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service. Most of them had been in Russian captivity since 2022.

Also, 20 Ukrainian civilians illegally detained by Russia were returned together with the soldiers.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the released servicemen again include Mariupol defenders and National Guardsmen who were captured while guarding the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.

The youngest released soldier is 26 years old. The oldest is 59 years old. Some of the prisoners were released as part of the Istanbul agreements with Russia, others as part of another exchange. This was the 69th exchange between Ukraine and Russia.

The previous prisoner exchange took place on August 24. Back then, the military and eight civilian Ukrainians illegally imprisoned by Russia returned to Ukraine.