Ukraine returns 175 defenders from russian captivity - Zelenskyy
Ukraine has returned 175 servicemen from russian captivity. Another 22 defenders are returning home thanks to measures other than exchanges.
This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, March 19.
Zelenskyy noted that 175 defenders were returned from russian captivity, and another 22 were released thanks to measures other than exchanges. Among them are seriously wounded and soldiers who were persecuted by the aggressor country of russia for fabricated crimes.
"This is one of the largest exchanges. Our soldiers, sergeants and officers are returning. Warriors who fought for our freedom in the ranks of the Armed Forces, Navy, National Guard, Territorial Defense Forces and Border Guard Service. They defended Ukraine in various directions - in Mariupol, in Azovstal, in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson Regions, as well as in the Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kursk Regions," Zelenskyy noted.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on January 15, Ukraine and russia held another prisoner exchange, thanks to which 25 more of our military and civilians returned home.
There is a preliminary agreement with the aggressor country, russia, that prisoner exchanges should become systematic in 2025.
As a reminder, in 2024, 1,358 Ukrainians were returned from russian captivity.