Ukraine Returns More Defenders from Russian Captivity Under Istanbul Agreements
Another group of Ukrainian defenders has been released from Russian captivity as part of a prisoner exchange carried out in line with the Istanbul Agreements, The Gaze reports.
This latest exchange, conducted under the directive of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saw the return of wounded and seriously ill soldiers, as well as young servicemen under the age of 25.
Among those released were members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the Navy, Ground Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Air Assault Forces, Special Operations Forces, as well as personnel from the National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service.
The youngest released defender is just 20 years old; the oldest is 59. The group includes not only enlisted personnel and sergeants, but also officers. Some of the soldiers freed today had been in captivity for over three years.
Several of the returned defenders had been captured during the defense of Mariupol and had remained in Russian captivity since 2022. Others fought in key regions across the front — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Kherson.
In addition to military personnel, unlawfully detained civilian Ukrainians were also freed as part of the operation.
President Zelenskyy commented on the releaseam, saying:
“Exchanges must continue, and I thank everyone making that happen. Ukraine’s goal remains to bring back all our people.”
Those released will undergo full medical examinations and receive both physical and psychological rehabilitation, in addition to all payments owed for the duration of their unlawful detention.
This stage of the exchange was overseen by the head of the Coordination Headquarters and Chief of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov.
Officials noted that the full number of released individuals will be announced once all stages of the current exchange are completed. The Istanbul-facilitated exchange process is ongoing.
As The Gaze previously reported, on June 26 Ukraine has secured the release of a group of young and wounded defenders from Russian captivity in a new prisoner swap conducted under the Istanbul agreements.