During the recent 67th prisoner exchange, 84 individuals returned to Ukraine – both military and civilians.
This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky through social media, as well as the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Direct quote: "We are bringing Ukrainians home. In this new exchange, 84 individuals are returning. This includes both military and civilians. Most of them require medical assistance and significant rehabilitation.
Among the released civilians are those who had been held by Russians since 2014, 2016, and 2017. Among the military released are defenders of Mariupol. I am grateful to everyone who helps us continue to free Ukrainian prisoners of war."
The Coordination Headquarters specifies that 33 military personnel and 51 civilians have been freed from Russian captivity.
This exchange is notable for the fact that it managed to free civilians and military personnel who were detained in temporarily occupied territories before the full-scale invasion and were unlawfully sentenced to long terms of imprisonment – from 10 to 18 years. One of the released had spent 4013 days in captivity, having been captured in Donetsk back in 2014.
Ukrainians captured and sentenced by the occupiers from 2016 to 2021 are also returning home. Among those freed are three women from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, one of whom is a primary school teacher who was imprisoned in 2019.
Among the civilians released on August 14 is a 27-year-old man who was unlawfully imprisoned since 2016. He was only 18 at that time.
In addition to civilians, defenders from the Mariupol garrison, as well as soldiers from the Navy and the State Border Guard Service, are also returning home. Ten officers have been freed.
Two pairs of brothers, who had been held captive since March and April 2022, are also returning from Russian captivity.
Most of the released civilians and military personnel have health issues and disabilities.
The youngest released is 26 years old, while the oldest has reached the age of 74, of which the last 7 years (since 2018) he spent in a Russian prison.
