205 soldiers return to Ukraine from Russian captivity – Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on Tuesday that another 205 soldiers returned home from Russian captivity.
"Today, Ukraine returned 205 soldiers. Young boys and adult men from almost all types and branches of the armed forces. Defenders of Mariupol and defenders of the entire front line. They were scattered across many Russian regions, imprisoned by the prison system with a single task: to humiliate and destroy humanity," the president wrote on the Telegram channel.
Zelenskyy thanked all partners, in particular the United Arab Emirates, for their mediation and assistance.
"We returned them. And I thank everyone who worked on this exchange. I thank the partners, first of all the United Arab Emirates, for their mediation and assistance. I thank those who care and continue to talk about Ukrainians in captivity. Every day we fight for our people. We will definitely do everything to return each and every one," he stressed.
As reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, this is the fifth this year and the 64th since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
"In total, within the framework of the negotiation process and exchanges since March 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has released 4,757 Ukrainian citizens," the message on Telegram said.
As the Coordination Headquarters noted, this time among the released soldiers are representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular the Navy, Air Force, Airborne Assault Troops, Territorial Defense Forces, as well as the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Three Ukrainian officers and 202 soldiers and sergeants are returning home.
"The released Defenders defended Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk directions, in Zaporizhia and Kharkiv regions, in Kherson, Sumy and Kyiv regions, as well as Defenders from the Mariupol garrison," the message added.
It is noted that all released people will be provided with medical care and treatment, necessary things, clothing, and hygiene products for the first time. Payments of monetary support for the time of captivity and one-time material assistance will also be made.