44 people were returned from Russian captivity

Ukraine managed to return home 44 people in the latest exchange of prisoners of war.

Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the Ukrainian President, reported this.

Those released include 36 private soldiers and sergeants and 6 officers. These are servicemen, border guards, soldiers of the National Guard of Ukraine, and sailors.

In particular, the defenders of Mariupol, Azovstal, and Kherson region, those who fought against the invaders in the east of Ukraine, as well as Kharkiv and Sumy directions, were returned from captivity.

19 of those released are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 11 served in the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, 7 in the Naval Forces, 2 in the National Guard of Ukraine, and 3 in the Territorial Defense Forces.

Two civilians were also released from captivity.

Those released include the wounded and people who survived severe torture while in captivity. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that the Ukrainian side will record the facts of the violation of the rights of servicemen in captivity.

The exchange brought back two men whose wives were released from captivity earlier.

A military surgeon who operated on the wounded in the military hospital in Mariupol and organized mass medical aid was also released from captivity.

One of the released, the commander of the department, was threatened by a “court” with imprisonment for a long period of time.

This is the fourth exchange of POWs this month. According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, as of April 26, a total of 2,280 Ukrainians were released from captivity. Work is already underway to prepare the next exchanges of POWs.

“Our team, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, continues fulfilling the clearly stated task of President Volodymyr Zelensky: “We will return everyone home.” The strength of a state is measured by how it values its people. Our principle is that Ukrainians are the highest value,” Yermak writes.