As part of the next exchange of prisoners, 64 soldiers of the Armed Forces who fought in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions, as well as a US citizen who helped Ukrainians, are returning home, the head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak said. As he reported in the Telegram channel, the bodies of the 4 dead were also returned.
"Another exchange of prisoners. We continue to return our own. 64 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who fought in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas, including those who participated in the defense of Bakhmut, are going home. These are officers, privates and sergeants, our heroes," Yermak noted.
Yermak said that the vast majority of those released were captured by the occupiers in the most difficult areas of the front: near Bakhmut, Soledar, Zaitsev and other places in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
"59 freed prisoners are representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, five more are territorial defense fighters. It was also possible to free a citizen - a US citizen, 35-year-old Suedi Murekezy. He was captured by the occupiers back in June in Kherson, allegedly for participating in pro-Ukrainian rallies." - he said.
Four officers were among the servicemen dismissed on Wednesday, the others were representatives of private and non-commissioned officers.
"At least 23 released defenders are returning home with injuries, some of them are in serious condition. The oldest of the rescued soldiers is 57 years old, the youngest is 19," the head of the President's Office wrote.
In addition, according to him, the bodies of four fallen defenders of Ukraine were returned.
"I thank the Coordination Staff for the treatment of prisoners of war. I am grateful to the entire team, but there is still a lot of work ahead. We are working," Yermak wrote.
