Ukraine conducted an exchange of prisoners of war and freed 106 Ukrainian soldiers who were captured by the enemy in the direction of Bakhmut.

Andriy Yermak, Head of the President’s Office, announced this.

98 soldiers and sergeants and 8 officers are returning home. Those released from captivity include 21 soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces, 7 border guards, and one serviceman of the State Transport Special Service of Ukraine.

Three bodies were repatriated: two foreign citizens and a Ukrainian woman.

At least seven rescued defenders have various injuries: bullet and shrapnel wounds, burns and fractures, and aggravated chronic diseases.

The oldest of them is 59 years old, and the youngest is 21 years old.

According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, all returned servicemen were defending Ukraine in the direction of Bakhmut, and 68 of the freed soldiers were considered missing.

In total, 2,430 people were returned home during the exchanges. Among them, 139 are civilians.

Previous exchange of prisoners

On May 6, Ukraine returned 45 defenders of Azovstal, who were in Russian captivity. They included 35 private soldiers and sergeants, as well as 10 officers.

Also, among those whom the Russians released from captivity was a Ukrainian soldier who, before the large-scale invasion, was in captivity for 2.5 years when he was captured during the Shyrokyne operation.