Dozens more soldiers who had been held captive in Russia for a long time have returned to Ukraine. The latest exchange took place on 19 June as part of the Istanbul agreements. According to Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Human Rights Commissioner, those released include soldiers from various units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the marines, the Territorial Defence Forces, airborne assault units, motorised infantry units, the National Guard and border guards.
One of the defenders attracted particular attention, as he celebrated his 45th birthday on the day of his return, 19 June. According to Lubinets, among those released are those who spent more than three years in captivity, since the first months of the full-scale invasion. The oldest of them is 63 years old.
The exchange of prisoners was officially announced on that day by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to him, soldiers who defended Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv and Kyiv regions returned to Ukraine.
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The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War emphasised that most of those released have serious medical problems. As a result of their prolonged stay in inhumane conditions of captivity, they have suffered weight loss, dystrophy, ulcers, vision problems, and disorders of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Many have complex chronic digestive diseases.
It was also noted that some of those released are seriously ill soldiers whose medical conditions required urgent treatment, in particular due to complications from injuries and torture.
Upon their return, Ukrainian defenders will be provided with full medical care, rehabilitation, psychological assistance and family support. According to sources, the exchange was made possible thanks to lengthy diplomatic efforts with international mediators and compliance with previously reached agreements.
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