Return of Heroes: New Hopes for Ukraine
On April 19, 277 Ukrainian soldiers embraced their homeland once again, with 246 returning as part of a prisoner exchange and 31 freed outside this process.
Source: President Volodymyr Zelensky, Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War
Direct speech: "Another 277 heroes have returned home from Russian captivity.
These are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Special Transport Service, and border guards. They defended Mariupol and other crucial areas in Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions".
Details: Zelensky thanked everyone involved in organizing the exchange, particularly noting the mediation of the United Arab Emirates.
According to the Coordination Headquarters, 246 soldiers were returned as part of the exchange, and 31 people were freed outside this process.
The majority of those returned are young individuals born after 2000. Among them is a female serviceman who had been in captivity since May 2022.
Of the released, 268 are privates and sergeants, and 9 officers were also returned.
This exchange is the fourth this year and the 63rd since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
So far this year, 596 Ukrainians have been brought home through exchanges, and 53 defenders have been freed outside of exchanges.
Overall, since March 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has secured the release of 4552 Ukrainian citizens as part of the negotiation process, with an additional 529 freed outside of exchanges.
