Ukraine expects Mariupol defenders and Azov troops in next exchange

Ukraine anticipates the inclusion of Mariupol defenders and members of the National Guard's 1st Azov Corps in an upcoming prisoner exchange with Russia, according to Defense Intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko. Ivashchenko revealed that the 103 Ukrainians who returned on August 19 were all service members, but they were not among them.

"We expect the next return case, and next time we expect Mariupol, we expect Azov," Ivashchenko stated to We-Ukraine. The latest exchange prioritized Ukrainian troops in critical condition, both severely ill and wounded service members. Ukraine delivered 103 service members from Russian captivity on August 19, comprising members of the Armed Forces, Border Guard Service, and National Guard who had engaged in battles across various fronts.

Initial official information on the exchange mentioned some returned service members had fought for Mariupol, but Ivashchenko later clarified that Mariupol defenders were not part of the group. Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the released individuals consisted of service members from the Armed Forces, Navy, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service, featuring several officers.

The youngest service member freed was 26, while the oldest was 59. The Coordination Headquarters also expressed gratitude to the United States and the United Arab Emirates for their role in facilitating the exchange. Prior to this, Ukraine had returned 160 service members from Russian captivity on June 26, most of whom had been held since 2022 and spent over four years in captivity.

This group included Mariupol defenders and Azovstal steel plant defenders, including 58 officers, along with troops who fought on other fronts.