23 women managed to return from Russian captivity, including Crimean Tatar activist Umerova - Coordination Centre
As part of the 56th exchange of prisoners of war since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 23 women were returned.
This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Censor.NET informs.
"This exchange is special, because for the first time in a long time, we managed to release our women from captivity: there are 23 of them among the released. In particular, these are civilian Ukrainian women who were detained and illegally imprisoned by the Russians before the full-scale invasion," the statement said.
It is noted that Ukraine has also returned women who were forced to participate in the so-called "trial" of the defenders of Mariupol.
In addition, Crimean Tatar activist Leniya Umerova, who was captured by Russians while crossing the border into Georgia, was released.
The Coordination Headquarters said that 23 soldiers and sergeants and 19 officers were released. Eight are representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (including two from the TRO), two from the National Police, four border guards, 13 sailors, 15 defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal from the National Guard. The remaining seven are civilians.
The liberated soldiers defended Ukraine in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson sectors.
Medical Service Colonel Viktor Ivchuk, who was in charge of a military hospital in Mariupol, was also returned to Ukraine.
The Coordination Headquarters expressed gratitude to the UAE for its assistance in organising the exchange. They added that all those released from Russian captivity will undergo a medical examination, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, all due payments for the entire period of captivity and reintegrate into society.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the release of 49 Ukrainian citizens from Russian captivity.
