Ukraine returned 49 military personnel and civilians from Russian captivity, including 23 women, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 13 September.
According to Zelenskyy, among the released are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Guard, National Police, State Border Guard Service, and civilians.
Among those freed is Lenie Umerova, a Crimean Tatar activist who was captured by Russian forces while crossing the Georgian border.
“Russians took her hostage when she came to take care of her sick father,” Zelenskyy said.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reports that this exchange is particularly significant as it marks the first time in a long period that Ukrainian women have been released from captivity.
Of the 49 individuals freed, 23 are women, including civilians who were detained and illegally deprived of liberty by Russian forces even before the full-scale invasion.
Some of the released women had reportedly been subjected to inhumane treatment, including forced participation in what was described as a “trial” of Mariupol defenders.
Olena Tolkachova, head of the patronage service for Azov members, confirmed that 15 servicemen from the former Azov Regiment of the National Guard, now the 12th Azov Brigade, were among those returned. This group primarily consists of women who have been in captivity for over two years.
The exchange also saw the release of Viktor Ivchuk, a Hero of Ukraine and colonel of the medical service, who managed a military hospital in Mariupol during the most challenging times.
According to the Coordination Headquarters, the freed individuals include 23 soldiers and sergeants, 19 officers, and seven civilians.
Read also: