Ukraine brings home 103 POWs in latest exchange with Russia

On August 19, Ukraine announced the return of 103 prisoners of war (POWs) held in Russian captivity, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. In exchange, Ukraine turned over 103 Russian service members, as confirmed by Russia's Defense Ministry. The released individuals include personnel from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, State Border Guard Service, and National Guard, the president added.

Among the returning soldiers are those who defended Mariupol and fought on various sectors of the frontline, including Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Dnipro, and Sumy. The vast majority of the 103 released are soldiers and non-commissioned officers, with the age range of the returned personnel spanning from 26 to 59 years old.

Two defenders had birthdays during the exchange, marking their 34th and 45th years. Additionally, some of the released service members are seriously wounded and ill, according to Ukraine's Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets. Lubinets emphasized that his office has been in contact with the families of several released service members to assist them with various matters.

Lubinets reiterated that Ukraine remembers every individual still held captive and is working tirelessly to bring all of them home. This exchange is one of the few remaining instances of direct humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Russia amidst Russia's ongoing invasion. Earlier, on June 26, Ukraine facilitated the return of 160 service members from Russian captivity.

Subsequently, Ukraine secured the release of seven civilians unlawfully detained by Russia for years. Despite a broadly stalled diplomatic process, Ukraine and Russia have continued to repatriate fallen soldiers' remains. On August 13, Ukraine returned the bodies of 261 individuals Russia alleged were Ukrainian service members, with Ukrainian investigators and forensic experts tasked with identifying the remains.