Back home — return of captives, watch the moving footage

The 69th combined prisoner exchange, organized in accordance with the Istanbul agreements, has taken place. Within the framework of this agreement, 185 Ukrainian service members and 20 civilians were successfully returned home.

Footage of the Ukrainians’ reception was shared on X by Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets on Thursday, October 2.

205 Ukrainians returned home from captivity

According to the Ombudsman, a key feature of this exchange was that most of those released had been held since 2022. Among the military personnel were members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including representatives of the Navy, Ground Forces, Territorial Defense, Air Assault Forces, as well as the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service. A significant portion of those returned were defenders of Mariupol.

"The oldest released serviceman is 59 years old, the youngest is 26. Two of the returning defenders will celebrate their birthdays tomorrow on their native soil," Lubinets wrote.

In addition, civilians who had been illegally detained during the early months of the full-scale invasion were also returned home. Many of them were taken directly from their homes by Russian forces. Among the released civilians, the youngest is 25 and the oldest is 60.

"The return was made possible thanks to the persistent efforts of Ukrainian state bodies that are part of the Coordinating Headquarters for Prisoner of War Affairs, under the instructions of the President of Ukraine. Representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office are consistently present at the exchange site. Our team monitors compliance with the Geneva Conventions, accompanies the processes, and informs the released individuals of their rights," emphasized Lubinets.

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