Ukraine-Russia Prisoner Swap, Azov Fighters Among Those Freed

Among the 103 Ukrainian soldiers released were members of the Azov Regiment, who have been held in Russian captivity since the early days of the full-scale war.

Other servicemen were part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the Border Guard service, and the police.

They defended key areas such as Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol, Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions.

The released included members of the 36th Marine Brigade, special forces from the Kraken unit, and the 12th Special Forces Brigade of the Azov Regiment.

According to Olena Tolkachova, head of the Azov foster care service, 23 soldiers from the regiment have now returned home.

The Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War added that many of these soldiers were seriously injured or ill and require immediate medical care.

This exchange was facilitated with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine had been working for an extended period to secure the release of these prisoners.

This follows a prior exchange on Sept. 13, which saw 49 Ukrainian prisoners returned home. Among them were 23 women, including civilians detained before the full-scale invasion.

One of the women released was Lenia Umerova, who had been taken hostage while visiting her ailing father. Additionally, the previous exchange included 15 Azov soldiers, mostly women, who had spent over two years in captivity.