- Ukraine Welcomes Heroes Home: POWs and Civilians Freed in Latest Russia-Ukraine Exchange
Islamabad – In a significant humanitarian gesture marking Ukraine’s Independence Day weekend, Kyiv has welcomed back dozens of its defenders and civilians following another prisoner exchange with Russia — a rare instance of cooperation amid the ongoing war.
On Sunday, 146 Ukrainian prisoners of war were returned to safety, including well-known journalist Dmytro Khyliuk, who was abducted during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in March 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Khyliuk’s return, saying: “He is finally home in Ukraine.”
Among the freed Ukrainians was also Volodymyr Mykolayenko, former mayor of Kherson, who endured over three years of Russian captivity. Mykolayenko’s courage became symbolic when he voluntarily postponed his own release in 2022, choosing instead to give up his spot for a gravely ill cellmate.
These returns are part of a broader series of large-scale POW exchanges — one of the few ongoing results from the 2023 Istanbul talks between the two nations. While Moscow claimed to have also received 146 servicemen, Ukraine has remained focused on the lives and stories of its returned citizens.
Though prisoner exchanges remain one of the few functioning channels between Ukraine and Russia, the human toll of Russia’s aggression continues to mount. Sunday’s exchange stands as a powerful reminder of Ukraine’s unwavering commitment to bringing its people home — and of the resilience of those who have endured captivity in defense of their homeland.
Ukraine will not stop until every last defender and citizen is free.
BY: The Times Union
