Ihor Levadny returned home: the story of the fighter who spent more than three years in captivity.

The return of the fighter from Popasna, who was in captivity for over three years

Today, Ihor Levadny from Popasna was managed to be brought back from captivity, where he had been for more than three years. This information was reported by the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration Oleksiy Kharchenko.

The fighter served in the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa. He was captured in the spring of 2022 by Russian forces while performing a combat mission near the Mariupol Metallurgical Plant.

All this Time, Ihor's relatives believed in his return. The local authorities were in contact with his mother and interacted with the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights and the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War for a faster exchange, - the message states.

Oleksiy Kharchenko emphasized the blatant unwillingness of Russia to return prisoners from Mariupol. Ihor Levadny had been held captive for over three years, and today he finally returned home.

Exchange '1000 for 1000': 390 Ukrainians released from Russian captivity

Today, 390 Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity to Ukraine, marking the first stage of the '1000 for 1000' exchange. This was announced by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This exchange is the sixth of its kind in 2023 and the 65th since the beginning of the military invasion.

Among those released from captivity are civilians and servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the Navy, Airborne Assault Troops, Territorial Defense Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service.

The president noted that the agreement to release 1000 Ukrainians is one of Ukraine's key successes. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of returning all citizens from Russian captivity as one of the country's priority tasks.

Ukrainian fighter Ihor Levadny and another 390 Ukrainians were released from Russian captivity as part of the '1000 for 1000' exchange. This is a step towards the return of all Ukrainian citizens from captivity and indicates progress in this direction.