Ukraine returns 103 more defenders from captivity: all details, photos and videos

On the afternoon of September 14, it became known that a new prisoner exchange had taken place. On this day, Ukraine brought home 103 of its Heroes who had been in Russian captivity.

This was announced by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In particular, 23 Azov soldiers who had been in captivity for more than two years were released.

"Another 103 soldiers were returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. 82 privates and sergeants. 21 officers. Defenders of Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol and Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions. Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, border guards, police officers," the Head of State emphasized.

According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, about half of the released men served in units from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"There are still 103 of our heroes at home! Of these, 51 are from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 38 guardsmen, 8 border guards, 4 police officers and a rescuer. Now our defenders are safe and will soon hug their families. Most of them are defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal. There are also those who defended the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kyiv regions. Those who bravely confronted the enemy in all the hottest areas," said Klymenko.

Also, 28 soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are returning home: two soldiers of the Kraken special forces, three from the International Legion, three from the Special Operations Forces, and one from the Territorial Defense Forces, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said.

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said that this time they managed to release, among others, defenders from the 36th Marine Brigade, the National Guard, including the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov.

"There are also representatives of the National Police and the terrorist defense, the State Emergency Service, and units of the Armed Forces. The overwhelming majority of those released are people who have been detained since the first days of the war," Lubinets said.

The Azov Patronage Service noted that among the released are 23 Azov fighters who had been held in captivity for more than two years. In total, 69 Mariupol defenders are returning home (including 31 Azovstal defenders).

"The returnees need serious rehabilitation, as their health condition has deteriorated significantly during their captivity. I am grateful for the coordinated work of government agencies, in particular the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and the Joint Center for the Coordination of the Search and Release of Prisoners of War and Illegally Deprived of Liberty as a Result of Aggression against Ukraine under the SBU," the Ukrainian Ombudsman emphasized.

According to the Coordination Center, most of those released from captivity today have severe injuries or wounds, serious illnesses, and the defenders need immediate medical care. It has been impossible to rescue these heroes from captivity for a long time.

"Ukraine expresses its gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for their assistance in organizing the next exchange," the statement said.

A total of 57 prisoner-of-war exchanges took place during the full-scale Russian invasion: 3,672 Ukrainians were returned.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the exchange in the format of 103 for 103. The invaders said that they had given Ukraine 103 captured Ukrainian servicemen as part of the exchange, while taking the same number of invaders who surrendered in the Kursk region.

Russia has now taken its prisoners to the territory of Belarus.

The previous exchange of prisoners took place the day before, on September 13. Then 49 Ukrainians returned home, including 15 Azovstal defenders. At the same time, 49 Russian soldiers who had surrendered in the Kursk region went to Russia.

Among those released are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the National Police, the State Border Guard Service, and civilians, many of whom were women, some of whom were captured before the full-scale Russian invasion.

At the same time, the health of most of the Ukrainians released from Russian captivity is very serious – many of them have lost tens of kilograms of weight.

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