Among the 303 Ukrainian servicemen returned from Russian captivity as part of the third phase of the large 1000-for-1000 exchange are 33 heroic defenders of Azovstal.
This was announced by the Minister of Defence of Ukraine Rustem Umerov on his Facebook page.
“The third stage of the exchange has been completed today. 303 soldiers and sergeants from the Armed Forces, Airborne Forces, State Border Guard Service, Army, Navy and National Guard have returned from Russian captivity. Among them are 70 defenders of Mariupol, including 33 defenders of Azovstal,” the minister said.
This exchange was another result of complex negotiations mediated by Turkey. The return of the defenders of Mariupol, who became a symbol of the resilience of Ukrainian resistance in the first months of the full-scale invasion, is a landmark for the entire country.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine would continue to fight for the release of every prisoner.