In future POW exchanges with Russia, Ukraine will prioritize
returning citizens who defended Mariupol in early 2022, Ukrainian Defense
Intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov said on Aug. 15.
The spymaster stated that Ukraine demands the return of the seriously ill, severely wounded, and women first. Priority will be given to those who have been in Russian captivity the longest, he added.
“We will also make maximum efforts to return civilian captives, especially those who have been held since 2014,” said Budanov.
“Special attention will be given to the defenders of Mariupol, particularly those who defended Azovstal.”
On Aug. 15, the Financial Times reported that representatives from Ukraine and Russia began negotiations over the exchange of prisoners of war captured during the Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast.
According to The Independent, Ukrainian forces have captured around 2,000 Russian soldiers in Kursk Oblast.
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