“Four servicemen of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade and five soldiers of the 15th Kara-Dag Brigade returned home after 45 months in Russian captivity. Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the 1st corps of the Azov State University, announced the successful release of the defenders, noting that the exchange process was able to be moved thanks to the efforts of many specialists. Returned warriors passed through extreme trials and colossal”, — write on: ua.news
Four servicemen of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade and five soldiers of the 15th Kara-Dag Brigade returned home after 45 months in Russian captivity.
Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the 1st corps of the Azov State University, announced the successful release of the defenders, noting that the exchange process was able to be moved thanks to the efforts of many specialists. The returned soldiers went through extremely difficult tests and colossal pressure from the Russian Federation, but they kept their indomitable spirit during almost four years of captivity.
Colonel Denys Prokopenko expressed his gratitude to the soldiers of the Defense Forces for replenishing the exchange fund, and also thanked the President of Ukraine, representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the “Association of Families of Defenders of Azovstal” for coordinating the process. Despite the success of this operation, the situation remains difficult, because more than 700 Azov citizens are still in captivity in the Russian Federation and have been waiting for their return for a long time. The commander emphasized that constant international attention to the issue of prisoners is critically important for the continuation of the dialogue and the release of all Ukrainian defenders.
Ukraine spent exchange of prisoners, during which 157 Ukrainians – servicemen and civilians – returned home. Among those released are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and the State Border Service.
We will remind you that the youngest released defender is 23 years old – he was captured at the age of 19 during the defense of Mariupol and was sentenced by a Russian court to life imprisonment.
Today, February 5, 2026, during the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia, a resident of Mariupol, Donetsk region, who was in Russian captivity for almost four years, returned home. Oleksandr was captured from the Azovstal plant on May 18, 2022.
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