12 soldiers from Odesa region return from captivity

Among the 185 soldiers who were released from Russian captivity in exchange for the same number of Russians on June 5, 12 are residents of Odesa region.

This was reported by the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper.

According to him, most of the released soldiers are from Odesa district - four defenders. Two soldiers from Rozdilnyansky district and two from Podolsky district also returned home. Berezivskyi, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Bolhradskyi districts and the city of Izmail also returned their residents.

The 75th exchange of prisoners took place on the afternoon of June 5. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, including representatives of the Navy and Army, as well as soldiers of the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service, returned home. More than half of the liberated defenders were taken prisoner in 2022, some of them during the defense of Mariupol. Among those released is a participant in a helicopter operation to build an air bridge to Azovstal.

In general, Ukrainians who fought in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kyiv, and Kursk sectors are returning home. The youngest released is 26 years old, the oldest is 62 years old. There are two officers among the released defenders today.

In May, the first stage of the "1000 for 1000" exchange took place in accordance with the agreements reached with the mediation of the United States, and 205 Ukrainian prisoners returned home. Most of them were captured during the defense of Mariupol. The length of time spent in captivity is the key principle for compiling the 1000-for-1000 exchange lists. In addition to soldiers and sergeants, more than fifty officers were returned home. Among those released today is a National Guard officer who was captured at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Кирило Бойко