Ukraine achieves return of seriously ill and wounded prisoners in a different format

Andrey Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Coordination Headquarters, reports in Telegram that a prisoner exchange in a special format has taken place.

Today's exchange is a landmark event. Ukraine has achieved a separate format for the return of seriously ill and seriously wounded defenders and civilians. We hope that exchanges in this direction will become more prompt," Yusov said.

Among those released are people with loss of sight, amputations, serious bullet wounds and consequences of mine blast injuries. Also released are people suffering from tuberculosis, oncology and gangrene. The Coordination Headquarters stressed that the Third Geneva Convention obliges to return the seriously ill and wounded first.

Details of the exchange on 15 January

On this day, 25 people, including one civilian, were released from Russian captivity. Among them were defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, as well as fighters captured in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions.

The exchange was mediated by the UAE. Many of those released are in serious condition and were hospitalised immediately after crossing the border.