Incidents

How many Azov fighters were returned from captivity of the Russian Federation during the war: in the coordination headquarters answered

To spread: During the exchanges of prisoners during a full -scale war, more than half of the Azovstal defenders managed to return to Ukraine. Among the released from Russian captivity are 455 fighters of the brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov". The deputy chairman of the coordination headquarters on the management of prisoners of war Andriy Yusov said in the published issue "Freedom Live" from May 28 from "Radio Liberty".

According to him, in May 2022, 2,500 fighters of different units were removed from Azovstal in May 2022. Of these, 1 279 returned home from captivity today. Among them, within the exchanges of prisoners between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, 455 Azov fighters were released.

"And the fact that during this exchange managed to return from the Russian captivity of representatives of 46 units, for the first time in the period of a full -scale invasion, it was possible to return people - it is a tremendous result. Because it is not just saved lives and statistics. It is incredibly important information about the conditions of stay, quantity, place of maintenance and person. 1 000 ".

The presenter asked Andrei Yusov to comment on the words of the commander of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov" Denis Prokopenko, who called the large-scale exchange of prisoners "shame" on May 25, because during him he was not returned home by any "Azov". "I do not comment on specific surnames and specific statements. A very sensitive and very painful topic.

Therefore, any public comments of this issue should be restrained, weighted and in the interests of prisoners, given their stay there and protecting their rights in captivity. There is a great temptation to make a variety of emotional statements, but it is necessary to understand that the enemy. " The exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia in the format of 1,000 per 1,000 began on May 23.

The last 303 Fighters of the Armed Forces returned from captivity as part of this exchange on May 25. Among them were servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Service and the State Special Transport Service.