108 Ukrainian women released from Russian captivity – photo report
Ukraine returned 108 women from Russian captivity (Photo:Andriy Yermak)
108 Ukrainian women were freed as part of a large-scale prisoner of war swap with Russia on Oct. 17, according to presidential chief-of-staff Andriy Yermak. The prisoners freed include both military personnel and civilians.
Yermak noted that it was the "first all-female exchange". 37 Azovstal evacuees, 11 officers, 85 privates and non-commissioned officer have been returned, including:
·35 defenders from the Armed Forces;
·32 from the Naval Forces;
·12 from the Territorial Defense;
·8 from the National Guard, including 2 from the Azov regiment;
·5 from the State Special Transport Service;
·4 from the State Border Service;
·12 civilians.
Some of them were captured in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine before the full-scale invasion.
NV has collected photographs of the freed women.
The biggest prisoner swap of the war so far was carried out on Sept. 21. 215 people were freed from the captivity, 188 of which were defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, including five commanders. 10 international volunteers were also released. A number of them had been sentenced by the occupation authorities.
The Azovstal commanders were exchanged for 55 Russian military personnel, while Ukraine handed over Viktor Medvedchuk, a former oligarch, pro-Russian politician and a personal acquaintance of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who was charged with high treason in May 2021.
Ukraine freed 32 more prisoners of war on Oct. 11, and recovered the body of Israeli volunteer Dmytro Fialka.
On Oct. 13, Ukraine freed another 20 people from the Russian captivity, including defenders from the Armed Forces, Navy, Territorial Defense and National Guard.
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