Over half of Azovstal defenders have been freed from Russian captivity

Andrii Yusov, Deputy Head of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War,  has reported that 1,279 Ukrainian service members who defended Azovstal Iron and Steel Works have been released from Russian captivity, including 455 fighters from the Azov Regiment.

Source: Yusov live on Radio Liberty

Details: Yusov said that as of today, 1,279 out of approximately 2,500 Ukrainian defenders who held the defence at Azovstal during the battles for Mariupol in 2022 have been brought back.

"This is, compared to other units, a fairly good dynamic," he noted. However, he stressed that "behind each number is a human life and no statistic can replace loved ones for their families".

Yusov stated that as part of the recent thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange, prisoners of war from 46 different units that had not been included in exchange lists had been released.

Commenting on public statements about the absence of Azov fighters in the latest exchange lists, Yusov emphasised that excessive media attention to specific names or units could be used by Russian intelligence services for their own purposes.

Quote: "This is a sensitive issue for everyone, and any public statements must be carefully considered to avoid harming the prisoners or complicating their return," he said.

"Our prisoners are in Putin's hands. The Russian services conducting the exchange negotiations are exploiting the media landscape to Ukraine's detriment. The more mentions in the media about specific individuals or units, the more likely it is that this will be used against us."

Details: Yusov reiterated that Ukraine has managed to bring back more than 6,000 citizens – both military personnel and civilians – as part of 65 exchanges since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Among them are representatives of various units: the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Territorial Defence Forces, Border Guard Service and others.

Quote: "These are not second-class citizens – they are military personnel, defenders. There are few special forces among them, particularly Ukrainian intelligence officers, and a separate significant struggle is ongoing for them. There are also few representatives of other challenging groups – soldiers with convictions, illegally imprisoned women, officers and combatants whom the enemy is deliberately refusing to return."

Background: 

• On Friday 23 May, Ukraine and Russia conducted the first part of the thousand-for-thousand exchange agreement, which resulted in the release of 390 people. Of these, 270 were military personnel and 120 were civilians.
• On Saturday 24 May, another 307 Ukrainian defenders were brought back from Russian captivity. All of them were male soldiers of private and sergeant rank.
• On Sunday 25 May, Ukraine and Russia carried out the third part of the thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange. A total of 303 Ukrainian defenders were released from Russian captivity.
• Colonel Denys Prokopenko, alias Redis, Commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, stated that not a single Azov fighter had been included in the three-day prisoner exchange with Russia. He said he does not believe the Ukrainian authorities are interested in bringing them back.
• Writer and former Kremlin political prisoner Stanislav Aseyev reported that none of the civilians who have been in Russian captivity for eight years were among those released as part of the thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange.

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