Budanov: Most of released POWs had been in captivity since 2022
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov reported that 139 of the 157 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) released on Thursday had been in captivity since 2022, 15 of whom were sentenced to life imprisonment in Russia.
"The first exchange this year. Today we have brought home another 157 Ukrainians – military and civilians. This was a long and arduous operation, and we have achieved a commendable result. Of those released, 139 had been held captive since 2022. Among those returning home are 19 illegally convicted defenders, 15 of them sentenced to life imprisonment. Also returning home are the defenders of Mariupol. These people have been through very difficult trials, but they survived," he wrote on Telegram.
The Head of the President’s Office thanked the team of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and all involved agencies for their "professional and complex work."
Budanov also expressed gratitude to his partners from the United States and the United Arab Emirates for their important mediation and assistance in the exchange.
