17 Mykolaiv Marines return to Ukraine from enemy captivity

17 marines from the Mykolaiv brigade have returned from Russian captivity. All of them were captured during the defense of Mariupol.

This was reported by the press service of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilinsky.

Another prisoner exchange operation has been completed, during which 20 marines were released.

Among the liberated are 17 soldiers from the 36th separate marine brigade, 2 from the 1st airborne brigade and 1 from the 501st airborne brigade. All of them were captured while defending Mariupol.

We express our sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to the return of our soldiers from Russian captivity!" the statement reads.

The command of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade met and congratulated their comrades on their return to free Ukrainian land. The soldiers will undergo medical treatment and rehabilitation.

On September 14, a prisoner exchange took place between Russia and Ukraine, and 103 soldiers who had been captured by the occupiers returned home. The defenders of Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol, Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions returned home. Among them are 23 women who were illegally detained by Russia. This is the largest number of women exchanged recently.

In early September, the Coordination Center hosted a meeting with the families of prisoners of war from the 36th Marine Brigade. The relatives of the captured marines primarily asked about the possibility of returning the defenders who have been in captivity for a long time. During the meeting, they discussed the places and conditions of detention of Ukrainian soldiers, as well as possible ways of communicating with them.

In Mykolaiv, relatives and friends of prisoners of war gather every week to remind the public about the prisoners of war. People gather at the intersection of Central Avenue and Mala Morska Street. Relatives of the prisoners do not intend to stop these actions until their loved ones return home.

At the end of August, Ukraine and Russia conducted the 55th exchange of prisoners. A total of 115 soldiers returned from Russian captivity. All of the prisoners rescued during the exchange are conscripts, including those who were captured by the enemy during the heroic defense of their homeland in the first months of the invasion in 2022.

The largest number of prisoners came from the 36th Marine Brigade, which was captured in Mariupol.

There are also actions against Russian armed aggression abroad. For example, in July, representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora in County Kerry, including people from Mykolaiv, held a rally in support of Ukraine in Ireland. The participants laid out the abbreviation "UA" on the ground with the help of light bulbs, around which they gathered children's toys and flowers.

Анна Бальчінос