Prokopenko, Volynа, Ptashka: Ukraine has freed 215 soldiers from Russian captivity
Ukraine was able to return 215 military prisoners, including 124 officers who had been held hostage by Russia since the end of May.
The head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, said this during a report to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to reports, among those released are many soldiers of the Azov Regiment, the National Guard, the Security Service of Ukraine, and marines.
So, among the Ukrainians released from captivity are:
- Hero of Ukraine, commander of Azov Denys Prokopenko (Redis),
- Svyatoslav Palamar,
- Serhii Volynskyi (Volyna),
- Oleg Khomenko,
- Denis Shlega,
- Hero of Ukraine Yevgeny Bova,
- Kateryna Polishchuk (Ptashka).
The Ukrainian authorities also succeeded in freeing pregnant servicemen who were in captivity:
- Maryana Mamonova,
- Yana Shumovetska,
- Anastasia Chernenko.
At the request of international partners, we also returned 10 foreigners – defenders of Ukraine, citizens of five states, who help us a lot.
The freed foreign defenders were brought to the territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the city of Riyadh on September 21.
The soldiers were returned thanks to the efforts of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and the Coordination Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, with the assistance of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Muhammad bin Salman.
Thus, along with more than two hundred Ukrainian soldiers, five citizens of Great Britain, two citizens of the United States of America and one representative of Sweden, Croatia and Morocco were released today.
200 defenders managed to be exchanged for the traitor Viktor Medvedchuk, who has already given all the necessary evidence to the investigation. And for the most famous Ukrainian heroes, Ukraine gave 55 Russian prisoners, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine reported.
– We were ready to exchange him for at least one defender of Azovstal, but it turned out that’s how many people to return, – said Zelenskyy.
During the report to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the law enforcement officers informed that the commanders of Azov are now safe in Turkey.
In the future, the parties plan to conduct an all-for-all exchange. Currently, Ukraine is dealing with this issue together with the UN and the President of Turkey. Ukraine already has captured Russians, including officers captured during the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region. In addition, the Ukrainian military continues its counteroffensive to ensure a further increase in the exchange fund.
It will be recalled that the defenders of Azovstal were held captive by the occupiers since the end of May.
