"1,000 for 1,000" exchange completed. Another 303 Ukrainian defenders returned home
On Sunday, May 25, the third stage of the large-scale "1,000 for 1,000" prisoner exchange took place. 303 Ukrainian defenders returned home from russian captivity. This was announced by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his Telegram channel.
"303 Ukrainian defenders at home. The third part of the "1,000 for 1,000" exchange, which was agreed upon in Turkey, has been completed. Today, soldiers of our army, National Guard, State Border Guard Service and State Special Transport Service are returning," Zelenskyy wrote.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarified that this time among the released soldiers are representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular the Navy, Air Force, Airborne Assault Troops, Territorial Defense Forces, as well as the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Border Service of Ukraine and the State Special Transport Service. All 303 defenders released today are men, representatives of privates and sergeants.
According to the Coordination Headquarters, the defenders released on May 25 defended Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk Axes, in the Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv Regions, in the Kherson, Sumy and Chernihiv Regions. In particular, 70 defenders of Mariupol returned home.
"The three-day exchange "1,000 for 1,000" became the sixth exchange this year and the 65th since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. In total, within the framework of the negotiation process and exchanges since March 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has freed 5,757 Ukrainian citizens. Another 536 Ukrainians were returned outside the exchanges," the Coordination Headquarters said.
It is emphasized that the liberated defenders will receive all necessary medical care and rehabilitation, as well as all due payments of monetary support for the time of captivity and one-time material assistance. Ukraine will ensure the reintegration of the liberated into society after prolonged isolation in Russian captivity.
As Ukrainian News Agency reported, as part of an agreement with the aggressor country Russia on a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange, Ukraine returned 390 people on May 23.
The second stage of the exchange took place on May 24. On that day, 307 prisoners of war were returned to Ukraine.