Ukraine Returns 205 Defenders in Major Prisoner Exchange on Infantry Day
On Tuesday, May 6, Ukraine and Russia conducted a large-scale prisoner exchange, with each side returning 205 servicemen, The Gaze reports.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the exchange shortly after Russia’s defense ministry announced it. Among those returned to Ukraine are three officers and 202 soldiers and sergeants from various branches of the Armed Forces, including the Navy, Air Force, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service.
Many had been captured as early as 2022 and were held across different Russian regions in harsh prison conditions.
The exchange, which took place on Ukraine’s Infantry Day, also saw the release of 40 Interior Ministry servicemen, including 26 National Guardsmen and 14 border guards, aged between 22 and 25.
These defenders fought in hotspots such as Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Kyiv regions.
President Zelensky and Ukrainian officials thanked the United Arab Emirates for mediating the exchange — the 64th since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
To date, 4,757 Ukrainians have been brought home. Returning POWs are entitled to medical care, psychological support, new documents, and financial assistance.
The Security Service of Ukraine emphasized: “Every Ukrainian life is of the highest value! We are working to fulfill the President’s order and bring every Ukrainian home from captivity!”
As The Gaze previously reported, on April 19 Ukraine successfully secured the release of 277 soldiers from Russian captivity, marking one of the largest prisoner swaps since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.