‘160 for 160’ prisoner exchange: Ukraine has repatriated servicemen who had been held captive since 2022
The exchange was announced by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. DW has also reported on this.
According to the Coordination Headquarters, those released include personnel from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, the National Guard, the Medical Forces, the Territorial Defence Forces and the State Border Guard Service.
Who was returned during the ‘160 for 160’ exchange
Soldiers from the Army, Support Forces, Airborne Forces, Territorial Defence, Air Force, Medical Forces and Navy, as well as members of the National Guard, the State Special Transport Service and the State Border Guard Service, have returned home.
They defended the country in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Kyiv sectors.
Among those released were 115 defenders of Mariupol. In addition to privates and sergeants, 58 officers were also able to return home. The youngest of those released was 26 years old, and the oldest was 66.
Who helped organise the exchange
The exchange took place through the mediation of the United Arab Emirates. The Coordination Headquarters also thanked the US and the UAE for their assistance in organising the exchange.
The Russian side stated that 160 prisoners of war had also been handed over to them.
How many Ukrainians have already been returned from captivity
According to the latest data from the Coordination Headquarters, 9,606 Ukrainian citizens — both military personnel and civilians — have been returned home since the start of the full-scale war.
Each such exchange means not only the return of people to their homes, but also the continuation of efforts to secure the release of those who remain in Russian captivity.
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