106 Bakhmut defenders return home from Russian captivity

The Kyiv Independent news desk
·1 min read
2
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Presidential Office head Andrii Yermak reported on May 25 that 106 Ukrainian prisoners of war had returned home from Russian captivity as part of a prisoner exchange.

All of the freed POWs had defended Donetsk Oblast’s city of Bakhmut, said Yermak. Among them were 98 privates and sergeants, as well as eight officers.

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent_official)

“They fought for Bakhmut and performed a feat that prevented the enemy from advancing further into our east. Each of them is a hero of our state,” added Yermak.

According to the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 68 released soldiers were considered missing.

The freed prisoners included personnel from Ukraine’s Armed Forces, border guards, and a State Transport Special Service employee, the headquarters wrote.

During the prisoner exchange, the bodies of two foreigners and a Ukrainian woman were also repatriated, reads the report.

According to the headquarters, 2340 people have been returned from Russian captivity, including 139 civilians, as of May 25, 2023.

What it’s like to know your loved ones are in Russian captivity
On the evening of Feb. 24, Nataliia Sivak received a terrifying message from her younger brother, Ukrainian soldier Yakiv Nehrii. “Tell everyone I love them very much,” the message read. “We are under heavy attack.” It was the last time she heard from him. When Russia launched its full-scale war
The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko