Author of the photo, Volodymyr Zelenskyi
image captionMany of those released from captivity require medical and psychological rehabilitation
August 24, 2024
Ukraine and Russia conducted an exchange of prisoners according to the formula 115 for 115. Ukraine returned the defenders of Azovstal, and Russia was given the soldiers who were captured in the Kursk region.
As stated in the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR), “all those rescued during the 55th exchange of prisoners are conscripts.” These are soldiers, sergeants and sailors.
Many of them were captured in the first months of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Author of the photo, Volodymyr Zelenskyi
Photo caption, 115 military personnel were returned to Ukraine
Among those released are nine illegally convicted military personnel, as well as sailors, border guards, national guardsmen protecting the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and 82 defenders of Mariupol, of whom half a hundred were defending Azovstal.
Photo by: GUR
image captionThese boys have been in captivity for over two years
The soldiers who were freed today also took part in heavy battles for Gostomel and the reserve command post of the General Staff in Kyiv region, and in Kherson region for the Chongar checkpoint on the administrative border with occupied Crimea.
Photo by: GUR
Caption for the photo, In this exchange, only strokoviki
Many soldiers, say the GUR, have health problems due to injuries, as well as “Russia’s non-compliance with the norms of International Humanitarian Law in captivity.”
Who was returned to Russia
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Ukraine gave them 115 conscripts who were captured in the Kursk region.
Ukraine launched an operation in the Kursk region of Russia on August 6 – then, according to the media, hundreds of Russian conscripts were captured.
As reported in the Russian Ministry of Defense – now the exchanged conscripts are in the territory of Belarus, where they are provided with medical and psychological assistance.
Why conscripts were not delivered to Russia is not reported.
“Thank you to every unit that replenishes our exchange fund. This brings the release of our military, our civilians from Russian captivity closer,” President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the exchange of prisoners on his social networks.
This exchange, like the previous one, took place through the mediation of the United Arab Emirates.