Ukraine Returns 25 More Citizens from Russian Captivity, Including Azovstal Defenders and Seriously Ill

Twenty-five Ukrainian civilians and military personnel have returned from Russian captivity, including defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, as well as those who fought in Russia's Kursk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reports on social media platform X.

‘Today, 25 more of our people are returning home to Ukraine. These are our military and civilians. Among them are the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, as well as our Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. The guys have serious injuries and illnesses. Each of them will receive all the necessary medical care,’ he wrote.

The President noted that the return of ‘our people’ home is something Ukraine is constantly working on. ‘And we will not stop until we return all our people,’ Zelenskyy said.

He thanked the team that searches for Ukrainians and organises this important work, as well as the UAE for its assistance in making today's event possible.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that Ukraine has achieved a separate format for the return of seriously ill and wounded prisoners, they have been returned as a result of mutual repatriation.

Representatives of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine are returning home and will receive proper treatment and rehabilitation.

Wounded Ukrainian servicemen from the Kursk region are also among those released.

The youngest released is 24 years old.

The wounded have, among other things, loss of vision, amputations, complex bullet wounds and the effects of mine-blast injuries. Among their diseases are tuberculosis, oncology and gangrene, which is a clear indication of the conditions our people have to live in.

The Coordination Headquarters reminded that according to the Third Geneva Convention, it is the seriously ill and severely wounded who should be returned in the first place.