Last defender of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island returns to Ukraine: details of prisoner exchange

The last of the defenders of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island – State Border Guard Service fighter Vitalii Hyrenko – has been brought back to Ukraine as part of the prisoner exchange on 23 July.

Source: Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War; Defenders of Zmiinyi group on Facebook

Details: The headquarters shared details of the ninth stage of the exchange, which is taking place in accordance with the agreements reached in Istanbul.

Quote: "By order of the President of Ukraine, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has secured the release from Russian captivity of a group of defenders suffering from injuries and serious illnesses.

Among those freed today are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including from the Air Assault Forces, Navy and Territorial Defence Forces, as well as fighters from the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard and the National Police of Ukraine. In addition to rank-and-file soldiers and sergeants, officers have also been brought back. Some of the soldiers freed today were captured during the defence of Mariupol and spent over three years in captivity.

The last of the defenders of Zmiinyi Island – State Border Guard Service fighter Vitalii Hyrenko – is returning from captivity."

Details: The headquarters reported that the youngest defender swapped on 23 July is 27 years old and the oldest is 66.

In total, Ukrainians who fought on the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv fronts have been brought back home.

The Defenders of Zmiinyi group on Facebook published the name of the border guard who defended the island and has now returned as part of the exchange – Vitalii Hyrenko.

Previously: On 23 July, Ukraine conducted the ninth stage of the prisoner exchange, bringing seriously ill and gravely wounded soldiers back home.

The Ukrainian side has not disclosed how many people have been brought back during this stage. Meanwhile, Vladimir Medynskyi, the head of the Russian delegation, concluded that around 250 persons from each side had been exchanged. He claims this is the final exchange within the scope of previously established agreements.

Background:

• On 24 February 2022, two unidentified vessels approached Zmiinyi Island. The Russians threatened the servicemen of the Izmail Border Detachment, demanding that they surrender. Russian forces used an international maritime safety communication channel.
• The Russians opened fire on Zmiinyi Island using naval artillery and then deployed aircraft.
• Late in the evening, the State Border Guard Service reported that contact with the border guards on Zmiinyi Island had been lost and that the island had likely been seized. The defenders of Zmiinyi Island were taken into Russian captivity.
• In May 2022, the author of the famous phrase "Russian warship, go f*ck yourself" was freed from Russian captivity.

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