Over half of Azov fighters returned to Ukraine, official says
A total of 1,279 of the approximately 2,500 Azov fighters held in Russian captivity as POWs have been returned to Ukraine since being captured, including 455 from the Azov Brigade, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on May 28.
The confirmed statistic, which includes soldiers in multiple units who fought to defend the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol, comes amid social media outcry criticizing Ukrainian authorities for failing to return certain captives, including Azov fighters, during the war's largest 1,000-for-1,000 POW exchange, which concluded on May 25.
"Behind each number is a human life, and no statistics can replace loved ones for individual families," Andrii Yusov, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters told Radio Liberty on May 28.
Ukrainian society has rallied for captured Azov fighters who defended the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol during the Russian siege of the port city in 2022. The battle, one of the most brutal of the entire war, is credited with buying time for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to prepare itself and receive international military aid against Russia's invasion during the initial phase of the war.
Azovstal defenders were ordered to surrender to the encircling Russian forces after nearly two months of constant bombardment of the besieged plant. While hundreds of these fighters have been released since 2022, hundreds more remain in captivity.
Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, described the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange as a "mockery" due to the lack of fighters from the Azov Brigade, in a post on Facebook on May 25.
"Ukraine is fighting for every one of its citizens. We are working under extremely difficult conditions amid the full-scale invasion, and the Mariupol garrison remains one of the top priorities for repatriation," Yusov said on May 25 in response to to the frustration seen on social media.
Ukraine has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Russia has so far rejected the proposal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, following the mass exchange, pledged to "bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity."
The three days of prisoner exchanges were negotiated by Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on May 16th, during the first direct talks between the two countries in three years.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 28 that Moscow has proposed June 2 as the date for the next round of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.
Read also: Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul
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