
On Wednesday, January 15, Ukraine returned 25 of its citizens from Russian captivity.
This was announced by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Returning our people home is something that Ukraine is constantly working on. And we will not stop until we return all of our people. Today, 25 more of our people are returning home, to Ukraine. These are our military and civilians.", the president said.
According to Zelensky, among the returned Ukrainians are military personnel and civilians. Among the military are defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, fighters who fought in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions.
According to the GUR, among the returnees is a civilian captured in the Kyiv region and illegally held by the Russians, as well as wounded servicemen who participated in the battles in the Kursk direction. Among the returnees are also National Guardsmen, fighters of the Territorial Defense Forces, the Navy, and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
"The youngest released person is 24 years old. The oldest is 60. These people have experienced a lot without proper medical care and with inhumane treatment in enemy captivity. The wounded have, in particular, loss of vision, amputations of limbs, complex bullet wounds and the consequences of mine and explosive injuries. Among the diseases are tuberculosis, oncology, gangrene, which speaks volumes about the conditions in which our people have to live.", – the press service of the State Administrative Organization reported.
It is noted that the Ukrainian prisoners of war who were returned have serious injuries and illnesses. Each of them will receive the necessary medical care and rehabilitation.
The President thanked the team working on the return of prisoners of war, as well as the United Arab Emirates, which facilitated the return of Ukrainians.
The press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate reported that Ukraine has achieved a separate format for the return of citizens. Thus, in accordance with the Third Geneva Convention on Human Rights, it is seriously ill and seriously injured people who should be returned first.