Ukraine, Russia exchange wounded, young POWs in ninth round of swaps
Ukraine and Russia completed the ninth stage of a prisoner exchange negotiated in Istanbul, bringing home over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers in total under these agreements, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported.
Many of the soldiers released today had been held in captivity for over three years.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated that the freed fighters included members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, State Border Guard Service, National Guard, and National Police. Among them was the last defender of Snake Island, a State Border Guard Service member.
The group comprised soldiers, sergeants, and officers, with the youngest freed defender aged 27 and the oldest 66.
“Released defenders will undergo necessary medical examinations, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation support, and all due payments for their time in captivity,” the Coordination Headquarters added.
More about exchanges
Following the second round of talks in Istanbul on June 2, Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange all severely wounded and ill prisoners of war, as well as soldiers aged 18 to 25.
The parties prioritized specific categories over numerical quotas, adopting an “all-for-all” format.
On June 9, Ukraine repatriated a group of defenders under 25. The next day, the first exchange of severely wounded and ill prisoners occurred, with regular exchanges in these categories continuing since then.
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