108 women released from Russian captivity
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO — MONDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2022, 18:43
Ukraine has managed to release 108 women as a result of another prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia.
Source: Ukrainian Navy on Facebook; Dmytro Lubinets, Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine [Ukraine’s Parliament], on Telegram; Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, on Telegram; photographs from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
Quote: "Another large-scale exchange of prisoners was carried out today. It was especially emotional and really special as we have released 108 women from captivity. It was the first all-female exchange. There were mothers and daughters in captivity, who were eagerly awaited by their relatives.
They included 37 [women - ed.] evacuated from Azovstal, 11 officers, 85 privates and sergeants. 35 of them [released women - ed.] are female defenders from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 32 from the Navy, 12 from Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Forces, and 8 from the National Guard of Ukraine, including two from the Azov Regiment, 5 from State Special Transport Service of Ukraine, 4 from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and 12 civilians."
Details: Yermak said that among those released are young women illegally imprisoned in temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, who were captured even before the large-scale invasion.
Some people have been imprisoned since 2019 in the so-called republics [Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic - ed.] for their "extremely pro-Ukrainian stance", which was expressed in the transportation of humanitarian aid for orphans and fabricated charges of "espionage" and "terrorism", said the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Yermak noted that it was a stressful exchange: there were too many details and moments that could affect the process and change its course, but everything ended successfully.
Now all women will undergo a medical examination and rehabilitation.
Updated at 22:19: The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine told Ukrainska Pravda that four of the women freed from Russian captivity were border guards.
The Ukrainian Navy stated that 32 of the liberated women serve in the Navy: "Today is a very important day for all of Ukraine and for the Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi 36th Separate Marines Brigade. A total of 108 women returned from Russian captivity, including 32 of our fellow marines."
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