Six fighters of the 12th Azov Brigade were returned from Russian captivity, 842 Azov remain in captivity

Today, during the next exchange of prisoners of war, Ukraine returned 175 defenders, including six fighters of the 12th Special Purpose Brigade of Azov “of the National Guard of Ukraine, the press service of the unit reported on March 19.

“They passed the battle for Mariupol and the test of hostile captivity. After almost three years, our brothers finally return to their relatives and loved ones, ”the post reads.

At the same time, 842 fighters of the 12th Azov brigade are still in Russian captivity.

On March 19, the exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia was exchanged – according to the formula “175 to 175”. In addition, another 22 Ukrainian defenders were released outside the exchange, including difficult fighters.

President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that among the released – the Armed Forces, the Navy, the National Guard, TROs and the State Border Guard Service, which defended Mariupol, Azovstal, and also fought in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv region, Zaporizhia.

The preliminary exchange of prisoners took place on January 15, then Ukraine returned 25 of its citizens.

According to the coordination headquarters as of February 5, 2025 on the management of prisoners of war, 4 131 people managed to return from Russian captivity: these are both servicemen and civilians.