New Russia-Ukraine Prisoner Swap Brings Critically Ill Soldiers Back to Ukraine
A new stage in the ongoing prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia has taken place, bringing home a group of severely ill and wounded Ukrainian defenders.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Zelenskyy’s statement and a post by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Though the precise number of released soldiers was not made public, officials say all returnees are suffering from serious medical conditions.
The group includes soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Naval Forces, Airborne Assault Forces, the Territorial Defense Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service.
“Every Defender released today has serious medical diagnoses and illnesses resulting from their injuries and captivity,” the Coordination Headquarters said in a statement.
“Many are facing conditions such as advanced dystrophy, vision loss, musculoskeletal injuries, cardiovascular complications, and severe digestive disorders. These are the consequences of war and neglect in enemy detention.”
Most of the returned soldiers had spent more than three years in Russian captivity.
Many were captured during the siege of Mariupol and the broader defense efforts across Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv regions.
Upon arrival in Ukraine, the released defenders were immediately transferred to medical facilities where they will receive full diagnostics, treatment, psychological support, and financial compensation for their time in captivity.
Officials emphasized that this exchange is part of a larger, ongoing effort to secure the return of all Ukrainian prisoners of war. Preparations for future exchanges are already underway.
“The Coordination Staff continues its work and in the near future we are preparing the next stage of the prisoner exchange,” the Coordination Headquarters affirmed.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine has begun a new staged prisoner exchange with Russia, with the first group of Ukrainian prisoners of war under the age of 25 safely returned home.