On April 19, Ukraine welcomed back 277 of its heroes, among them 246 were returned through a prisoner exchange, while 31 individuals were freed outside of an exchange.

Source: President Volodymyr Zelensky, Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Direct quote: "Today, 277 of our soldiers returned from Russian captivity.

These include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Transport Service, and border guards who defended Mariupol and other areas in Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions."

Zelensky thanked all who contributed to the organization of the exchange, particularly highlighting the mediation of the United Arab Emirates.

According to the Coordination Headquarters, 246 soldiers were part of the exchange, and an additional 31 were freed without an exchange agreement.

Most of those released are youth born after 2000. Among them is a female service member who was held captive since May 2022.

Out of the released, 268 belong to the ranks of privates and sergeants, and 9 officers were also returned.

This exchange marks the fourth this year and the 63rd since the full-scale invasion began.

So far this year, 596 Ukrainians have been returned through exchanges, and 53 defenders were freed without exchanges.

Since March 2022, through negotiations and exchanges, a total of 4552 Ukrainian citizens have been released, with an additional 529 individuals freed from Russian captivity outside of exchanges.