The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on October 2 the latest prisoner exchange with Ukraine in the format "185 for 185", and 20 civilians also returned to Russia. Russian military personnel and civilians are on the territory of Belarus, where they are receiving necessary psychological and medical assistance, the department reported.
The Ukrainian project "I Want to Live" specifies that "40% of those who returned to Russia are former convicts who signed a contract in prison".
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel that 183 privates and two officers who served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Service returned home from captivity. They defended Mariupol and also the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Most of them have been in captivity since 2022.
The youngest released soldier was 26 years old, and the oldest was 59 years old.
Ukraine also returned 20 civilians.
The previous prisoner exchange took place on August 24, according to Volodymyr Zelensky, since the beginning of the war, 7,000 people have been returned home.
Photo: TG Volodymyr Zelensky