UPDATED at 5:24 p.m.:
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarifies that 80 men and 20 women have returned home.
In total, 24 National Guardsmen, 22 border guards, 22 representatives of the Navy, 21 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and 11 servicemen of the Territorial Defence Forces were released.
In addition, the liberated defenders took part in battles on the Kherson, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Sumy axes. Among them are the defenders of Mariupol, Bakhmut, and Hostomel, as well as the defenders of Chonhar, Zmiyiny Island, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Almost half of the freed prisoners have been seriously injured, ill, or tortured. The youngest of the liberated defenders is 19 years old.
Ukraine has returned another 100 citizens from captivity.
This was announced by Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President.
Among the citizens returned home are soldiers, marines, border guards and National Guardsmen, including defenders of Mariupol and Hostomel. Some people were seriously injured or suffered from illnesses.
"It was not an easy exchange, and I am grateful to the entire team, to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, for doing what often seems impossible to many," commented Mr. Yermak.
Previously. Mind reported that Ukraine had returned home 24 more children from Kherson Oblast. The children were illegally held in captivity by the russian occupiers.