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Another 95 Ukrainian defenders returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity: the exchange was carried out with the mediation of the UAE. Photo
The exchange of prisoners took place on July 17, 2024. Source: Office of the President of Ukraine
Ukraine and Russia conducted another prisoner exchange on Wednesday, July 17. As a result, 95 Ukrainian defenders from the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and border guards returned home. Another 95 Russian soldiers also left for Russia.
The exchange took place with the mediation of the UAE. This was announced by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"We continue to bring our people home. Another 95 defenders have been released from Russian captivity. These are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and border guards," he wrote on his official Telegram channel.
Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian team involved in the exchanges and to the United Arab Emirates for mediating the release.
"No matter how difficult it is, we are looking for everyone who may be in captivity. We have to return everyone," the President said.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said that a total of 3, 405 Ukrainians have been returned home from Russian captivity since the start of the full-scale invasion.
According to him, the staff of the Ukrainian Ombudsman's Office arrived at the exchange site to monitor the observance of human rights following international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
"Many relatives have received phone calls from the returned prisoners for a long time. Also, the families of those who were returned today will receive an official notification from the Coordination Headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war. Afterward, the returned soldiers will eat, receive clean clothes, be examined by doctors, and receive the necessary treatment and rehabilitation. We are grateful to the UEA for their help in returning our soldiers," Lubinets said.
He added: "Ukraine reaffirms its commitment to return all its citizens to their homeland and is working in this direction.
"We are grateful to the families who are waiting for good news and believe in the government agencies that will involve international partners in the return of Ukrainians and work for the result. Let's keep working!" said the Ombudsman.
In turn, the project "I Want to Live," created to appeal to the occupiers who wanted to surrender, published a video with the released Russian military.
They said that since the beginning of 2024, 803 prisoners of war have already returned to Russia, which is only a small part of the total number of occupiers in Ukrainian camps.
Many of them were held in captivity for less than six months, while others have been waiting unsuccessfully for an exchange for more than two years, the "I Want to Live" organization said.
"We don't understand what this approach of the Russian side is. Ukraine treats the prisoner exchange process as a purely humanitarian one. Therefore, it is difficult to find a rational explanation for Moscow's reluctance to return people who have not seen their relatives and friends for the longest time. Ukraine has repeatedly insisted on the need for an exchange in the format of "all for all". We reaffirm our readiness to implement this at any time," the project said in a statement.
"I Want to Live" also called on the Russian Federation to unblock the launch of mixed medical commissions and finally launch a mechanism for the repatriation of seriously wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Ukraine and Russia intend to exchange prisoners on the morning of July 17 with the assistance of the UAE. The goal is to release 90 prisoners from each side.
This exchange was the sixth mediated by the UAE, and this year about 1,400 people have been released with the mediation of this country.
As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubynets said that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has managed to return more than 3 thousand prisoners, military and civilian. However, Moscow is very reluctant to return the defenders of Mariupol, as they are needed by the Russians for public trials.
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