Russia returned 106 Ukrainian military personnel in prisoner exchange

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukraine on Thursday announced that 106 military personnel were returned to the country as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia.

“These are soldiers from the Bakhmut direction - eight officers and 98 soldiers and sergeants,” said Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, in a statement on Telegram.

Many of those returned were considered to be missing, Yermak said, noting that the team at the coordination headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War continued to fulfill President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's task of "returning everyone home as soon as possible.”

“Our real home is where we are thought of. Ukraine, which we are all building together, is a place where a person, a citizen, is of the highest value. A country that thinks about people. Our society thinks in such categories,” he said.

He added that they are continuing to work in this regard and that each prisoner exchange brings them “one step closer” to this goal.

More than 2,000 prisoners have been exchanged between Russia and Ukraine since the war began in February 2022, according to figures compiled by Anadolu.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​