Tears and smiles marked the first moments of freedom for 205 Ukrainians released from Russian captivity on 2 October. A notable feature of this exchange is that almost all of them had been in captivity since 2022.

The youngest of those freed is 26, and the oldest is 59. The Ombudsperson Dmytro Lubinets said that two Ukrainian defenders will celebrate their birthdays tomorrow — this time on their native soil.

Many immediately called their relatives to say, “I’m home.”

In total, 185 military personnel and 20 civilians returned home. 

“I am happy… and at the same time sad, because my friends are still in captivity. 3.5 years. 1,267 days. I counted every single day,” said one of the returned Ukrainians. 

Military personnel and heroes of Mariupol

Among those released are defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, as well as National Guard members who were captured while guarding the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. They defended Ukraine on the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv fronts.

Civilians taken straight from their homes

Twenty civilians also returned to Ukraine in the exchange. Many of them were abducted directly from their homes in occupied territories by Russian soldiers.

Among them is a rescuer from Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast who led a fire and rescue unit. He was never a soldier and never carried weapons, yet he ended up in Russian captivity. Now he is finally returning home.

Torture and rehabilitation

Most of the released soldiers, about 90%, report torture and harsh treatment in Russian captivity. All will undergo a full medical examination, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, and be provided with state assistance.

“Everyone will be provided with the necessary support,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Since the beginning of the all-out war, Ukraine has already managed to bring more than 7,000 people home.

“Thanks to everyone who makes these exchanges possible. We must bring everyone back. We work on this every day,” Zelenskyy emphasized.