Ukraine carries out latest prisoner exchange: 45 Ukrainians are rescued

DENYS KARLOVSKYI — THURSDAY, 28 APRIL 2022, 18:04

The Ukrainian authorities have carried out another exchange of prisoners with the Russian occupiers, rescuing 45 Ukrainians, including 5 wounded soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Source: Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk

Vereshchuk's quote: "Today 45 of our people have been released from Russian captivity. [There are] 13 officers and 20 soldiers (5 of whom are wounded). We are also bringing 12 of our civilians back home."

• Background: On 19 April, Ukrainian authorities carried out the fifth exchange, rescuing 76 Ukrainians. 60 of them were military personnel of the Armed Forces and the rest were civilians. On 21 April, Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war, rescuing 19 Ukrainians.
• On 14 April, the Ukrainian authorities carried out a fourth 30-for-30 prisoner-of-war exchange. On 1 April, Ukraine held an "86-for-86" exchange, 15 of them were women.
• On 24 March, Ukrainian authorities carried out a ten-for-ten exchange of prisoners of war. 19 crew members from the Sapphire rescue ship captured by the Russian occupiers were rescued.
• Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities had also exchanged 9 Russian conscripts for the captured mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, who was abducted on 11 March.
• It is also known that exchanges have been carried out upon the decision of the military leadership. In particular, at the beginning of the war, on 1 March, a Russian commander captured in Sumy Region was exchanged for 5 fighters of the Territorial Defence Forces. On 15 April, in Kherson Region, the military command exchanged 5 Ukrainian defenders for 4 captured Russian occupiers.