Malyuk and Budanov spoke about priorities in the exchange of prisoners of war with the Russian Federation.

The Security Service of Ukraine is actively working on the release of Ukrainian defenders held captive. This was announced by the Head of the SSU Vasyl Malyuk during a joint briefing with the heads of law enforcement agencies and the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights.

According to him, the employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, together with other defense forces, are actively searching for Russian military personnel for exchange. This task is a priority and was set by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Head of the SSU announced that the negotiating group preparing the exchanges will be expanded. It will include representatives of the Security Service, GUR, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Armed Forces, Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Commissioner. Malyuk expressed hope that this would allow more effective work on returning Ukrainian defenders home.

Malyuk noted that work is being conducted not only with military personnel but also with civilians, including those illegally detained by Russia since 2014.

There was also a successful operation by the special forces of the Central Special Operations Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine, during which more than a hundred Russian military personnel were captured, including officers and members of the Akhmat unit.

Currently, military counterintelligence and SSU investigators are working with captive Russians, documenting war crimes committed by them on the territory of Ukraine. After completing all the procedures prescribed by law, the Ukrainian side will be able to negotiate their exchange.

The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, spoke about the strategy for returning our people from Russian captivity. "First, severely wounded, women, those who have been in captivity for a long Time, and fighters from the Azovstal unit will be released," he noted.