The Coordination Headquarters explained the uniqueness of the '1000 for 1000' exchange.

Ukraine managed to return 46 servicemen from captivity who were previously not on the exchange lists

As a result of the largest '1000 for 1000' exchange, Ukraine managed to return troops from 46 units, which had never been on the exchange lists before. The return of fighters from these units had long been blocked by the Russian side. This was reported by 'Glavkom', citing the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Soldiers and sergeants defended at the hottest fronts

'Every third released Ukrainian serviceman was in captivity for more than three years – 311 defenders were held in captivity since 2022. 122 warriors had been in Russian custody since 2023 and 150 defenders since 2024,' the post states.

It is noted that among those freed in the large exchange are 497 representatives of the Ground Forces, 97 sailors of the Navy, 95 soldiers of the Territorial Defense, 72 paratroopers, 21 – Unmanned Systems Forces, two representatives of the Air Force, and two – Support Forces.

'56 border guards, 31 National Guardsmen, and one representative of the State Special Transport Service were also freed. 175 defenders of the Mariupol garrison returned home, 81 of whom were captured at 'Azovstal'. All released servicemen are soldiers and sergeants who defended at the hottest fronts,' the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War adds.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense explained that among the released prisoners in the 'thousand for thousand' format, there were no fighters from the 12th special forces brigade of the National Guard 'Azov', as it was up to Russia to define who it was ready to give back.

Moreover, the military of the 'Azov' brigade, which defended Mariupol and was taken captive by the Russians, Gennady Kharchenko, stated that the authorities do not fulfill their promises regarding the return of captured Azov members. Instead, almost during every exchange of prisoners, traitors and deserters return to Ukraine.

As a result of the large-scale prisoner exchange, a significant number of servicemen who had long been held in captivity on Russian territory returned to Ukraine. The return of such fighters became an important event for the Ukrainian military department and the public; however, the controversy surrounding the exchange does not disappear, and there are questions regarding the return home of all Ukrainian military personnel who remain in captivity.