Ukraine Achieves Return of 49 Individuals in POW Exchange with Russia, Reports Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Friday that Ukraine has successfully negotiated the release of 49 individuals from Russian captivity in the most recent prisoner exchange with Moscow.

This latest exchange, which marks the 56th since the onset of Russia’s invasion in 2022, was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, according to a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency.

Zelenskiy expressed his commitment to securing the return of all Ukrainians, both military and civilian, stating, “Another return of our people – something we always wait for and work tirelessly to achieve… We must bring home every single one of our people.”

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, shared on the Telegram messaging platform that among those released were seven civilians, as well as members of the armed forces, national guard, police, and border guard service. The exact number of Russians released during this swap has not been disclosed, and Moscow has not yet commented on the exchange.

Video footage from Ukraine showed released service personnel being welcomed with flowers and heartfelt gestures, including a leaflet that read: “Thank you for enduring it all.” One returning prisoner held the leaflet close to his heart and was visibly emotional.

Since the full-scale invasion began, Kyiv and Moscow have regularly conducted prisoner exchanges. This particular swap follows an incursion by Ukrainian forces into Russia’s Kursk region in early August, where Ukraine reported capturing at least 600 Russian soldiers, potentially aiding in the return of captured Ukrainians.

Yermak noted that some of the individuals released had previously defended Mariupol and the Azovstal steel plant, which has been occupied by Russian troops following intense conflict.

Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that as of now, Ukraine has successfully secured the return of 3,569 individuals from Russian captivity since the invasion commenced.