According to Ukrinform, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, announced this on Telegram.

“Ukrainian government agencies that are part of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War have managed to free 103 defenders from Russian captivity. These are soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the Territorial Defense Forces and the Navy, as well as the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service. They were defending Ukraine in the Donetsk (including the city of Mariupol), Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions,” the post reads.

According to the ombudsman, the vast majority of those freed today from Russian captivity are privates and sergeants, accounting for 99% of those released. The oldest among them is 59 years old, and the youngest is 26.

“Two of the defenders celebrated their birthdays yesterday—they turned 34 and 45. There are also seriously wounded and seriously ill individuals among those returned. I congratulate the men on their return home and wish them a speedy recovery,” he added.

Read also:

Lubinets: 60 Ukrainians have returned home from temporarily occupied territories since start of summer

Lubinets and his representative for the rights of persons deprived of liberty as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine and those missing in action, Yurii Kovbasa, were present at the exchange site. “We are participating in the process of bringing Ukrainians home and monitoring compliance with international humanitarian law,” noted the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner.

“At the same time, I want to emphasize here that I fully understand: behind every Ukrainian—whether a prisoner of war or missing in action—there is a family waiting. And, specifically, regarding several of the defenders who were returned today, we were in contact with their relatives and helped resolve a number of issues. I continue to prioritize this communication and support for families as a key aspect of my work. And we continue to do everything possible to find every person missing in action and bring every prisoner of war home. In total, since February 24, 2022, 9,716 Ukrainians have returned to Ukraine,” he emphasized.

The ombudsman also noted that all of this is the result of the fight to save every Ukrainian life and is an important part of the peace process. “Because peace for Ukraine isn’t just silence on the battlefield. Peace is when our people are at home. When families embrace their loved ones again. When Ukrainians return to their children, parents, and loved ones,” he added.

“We must speak about this at all levels and with all international partners: no peace process can be complete as long as Ukrainians remain in Russian captivity. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Ukrainian heroes and heroines,” concluded the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner.

In addition, he released a video showing the first moments on home soil of the Ukrainian defenders who returned from captivity.

“This is what our freed heroes are saying today, having finally set foot on home soil. The first calls to their loved ones—and the most important words: ‘I’m already in Ukraine.’ We congratulate our defenders on their return home, and their families on this long-awaited and happiest of news,” reads the caption under the video.

As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that 103 Ukrainian servicemen had been released from Russian captivity.