The president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, reported this Monday that a total of 189 prisoners of war Ukrainians have been freed on New Year’s Eve as part of an exchange with Russia thanks to the mediation of the United Arab Emirates.
“The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. Today is one of those days: our team has managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home,” the president said in a message published on Telegram.
According to Zelensky, the total number of prisoners of war released by Russia includes two civilians who were captured in Mariupol during the siege of the city almost 3 years ago, as well as soldiers who defended the city and its steel plant. Azovstalincluding those of the regiment Azov.
They have also returned soldiers and officers who were captured by Russia during the occupation of the Chernobyl nuclear power plantSnake Island and various parts of the front line. “We are working to free everyone from Russian captivity. This is our goal. We do not forget anyone,” stressed the Ukrainian president, who thanked the partners for their help, in particular the United Arab Emirates.
Many of the returning prisoners of war remained in Russian captivity for more than two and a half years and suffered illnesses and consequences from their serious injuries, the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
The Ukrainian Ombudsman, Dimitri Lubinets, has indicated that since the beginning of the large-scale invasion by Moscow on February 24, 2022, more than 3,900 Ukrainians have been released, as indicated on the aforementioned social network.
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense has put the number of released Russian soldiers at 150. “All Russian military personnel are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they receive psychological and medical assistance, as well as the opportunity to contact their families,” he said in a statement.
All these people will be transferred to Moscow to receive treatment in the medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Likewise, he thanked the mediation of the United Arab Emirates authorities in the process.
Prisoner-of-war exchanges between Ukraine and Russia became more frequent after the surprise offensive in Kursk last August, which led to the capture of hundreds of Russian soldiers.
The vast majority of Ukrainian prisoners of war – more than 95% – are tortured while in captivity in Russia, Danielle Bell, head of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said in August.
