Record-breaking PoW swap: Ukraine brings back 230 soldiers and civilians from Russian captivity – photo, video

Ukraine has brought back more than 200 of its military and civilians from Russian captivity.

Source: President Zelenskyy on social media, PoW Coordination Headquarters; Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights

Quote: "Our people are home. Today, we brought back over 200 warriors and civilians from Russian captivity – soldiers, sergeants and officers.  [They are members of] the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Navy, and Border Guards. Some of the defenders fought in Mariupol and at Azovstal. 

Thank you to everyone who, despite all the difficulties, brings our people home. Thank you to our defenders. We are making every effort to bring back all of our people who are still in Russian captivity."

Details: Ukraine’s PoW Coordination Headquarters notes that this is the largest prisoner swap during the full-scale invasion so far.

230 Ukrainian defenders are coming home. Among them are 130 soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (including 14 from the Territorial Defence and 14 from the Navy); 55 from the National Guard; 38 from the State Border Guard Service; one from the National Police, and six civilians who were illegally imprisoned.

Some of those brought back (182 people) had official prisoner of war status confirmed through the International Committee of the Red Cross, and some (48) were Ukrainian servicemen who had been considered missing and had the status of a "person on a search list".

Most of those released are men (225); five are women. There are 213 privates and non-commissioned officers and eleven officers.

Quote: "A female combat medic from the 36th [Marine] Brigade has come back to Ukraine after gruelling months of captivity. While in captivity, she spoke Ukrainian on principle. The Russians staged a mock exchange for her several times, but they brought her back to the place of detention every time.

Seven defenders of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island; a musician in a military orchestra; a servicewoman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who was imprisoned by the Russians while on maternity leave; National Guardsmen who were captured while performing their duties at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant; a civilian lecturer from the Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University [in occupied Luhansk], and defenders of Mariupol will finally see their families and friends."

In addition: The aggressor country's Ministry of Defence reports that on 3 January, "as a result of a complex negotiation process, 248 Russian servicemen were brought back from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime".

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Russian soldiers’ return from captivity was made possible by humanitarian mediation by the UAE.

Background: The prisoner swap had long been blocked by Russia.

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