Ukraine brings back 150 soldiers from Russian captivity – photos

Ukraine brought back 150 soldiers from Russian captivity on Wednesday, 5 February.

Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media; Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Today is a good day for all of us. We are bringing 150 of our defenders back from Russian captivity. These are privates, sergeants and officers. Service members from the Navy, who were captured in Mariupol and Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Air Force, the Air Assault and Ground Forces, the National Guard, Border Guard Service and Territorial Defence Forces, and a police officer. They’re all from different frontline areas, but they have one thing in common: they fought for Ukraine.

Some of these guys have spent more than two years in captivity. And today is a day that means more to them and their families than the years of waiting. It’s a real joy to see them at home, alive and free."

Details: A few minutes after it was posted on Zelenskyy's Telegram channel, the message was deleted. The same thing happened to a message from Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office. Zelenskyy’s message reappeared on his Telegram channel at 15:54.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reports that 108 Ukrainian service members are coming home this time, including seven from the Territorial Defence Forces, 26 from the Navy and three from the Air Force. In addition, Ukraine has secured the release of 22 National Guard members, 19 border guards and one National Police officer.

They defended Ukrainian land against the Russians in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Sumy and Kyiv oblasts. Notably, National Guard officers who defended the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, as well as defenders of Mariupol and the Azovstal steelworks, are also among those released. Some Ukrainian servicemen involved in the operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast will also soon be reunited with their families.

It is reported that 47 sergeants, 69 privates, 16 sailors and 18 officers have been freed from captivity.

Many of them are seriously ill or severely injured, having been held captive in Russia for more than two and a half years.

This is the 61st prisoner swap to have been arranged by the Coordination Headquarters since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. A total of 4,131 people have now been brought back from Russian captivity, including military personnel, civilians, and foreign nationals.

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