Ukraine welcomed home 31 civilians, including seriously ill and cancer patients, who were detained and sentenced in Belarus, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed on Nov. 22.
The group, aged 18 to 58, had been serving prison terms ranging from two to 11 years. All are now safe on Ukrainian soil.
Photo: Coordination Headquarters
The release followed successful negotiations with Belarusian authorities, carried out on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's instructions.
The Coordination Headquarters expressed gratitude to the United States and President Donald Trump for their "fruitful work" in securing the return.
Earlier on Nov. 22, Lukashenko's press service announced he had pardoned the 31 Ukrainians, with the handover taking place the same day as part of agreements with Washington and at Kyiv's request.