Ukrainian POW weeps as he returns home after prisoner swap with Russia

A Ukrainian prisoner of war sank to his knees and wept uncontrollably as he finally reached his homeland after a major prisoner swap with Russia. Wrapped in a Ukrainian flag, the man could not control his emotion as he disembarked from a coach and stepped foot on home soil, concluding a swap of some 190 prisoners today. The serviceman wiped away his tears as he swayed back and forth before getting to his feet, overwhelmed with emotion in a rare and moving insight into the lives of those caught in the conflict. Soldiers celebrated in front of cameras as they called their loved ones to let them know they were home and safe, all draped in the colors of their country and still wearing military fatigues.

In another clip of Russian soldiers heading home, men were seen boarding several coaches and cheering as they headed home to receive medical examinations and psychological rehabilitation, the defense ministry said. Some 95 Ukrainian servicemen made the long journey home on Wednesday in the third major swap in seven weeks. Intense negotiations have been mediated by the United Arab Emirates. The return was incredibly emotional for those involved, with some having not been home or seen family in more than two years.

Kyiv has secured the return of 3,405 people from Russian captivity since the start of Russia's invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian Coordinating Committee on Dealing with Prisoners of War said. It said seven officers and 88 soldiers and sergeants were freed, and most had been in captivity since 2022. The committee posted a video showing Ukrainian troops boarding buses to be transported home and cheering. It showed one serviceman, wrapped in the blue and yellow national flag, saying into his mobile phone: 'I still cannot believe that I am at home.'

Twenty-three people had taken part in the three-month defense of the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol, and were captured by Russian forces in May 2022, the committee said. 'Many returning Ukrainian soldiers suffer from consequences of their wounds and have chronic diseases that require long-term treatment,' the panel said on Telegram. In the second exchange in June, Russia and Ukraine each handed back 90 prisoners. A second clip showed Russians boarding coaches and speaking to loved ones as they returned home.

'Daughter, honey, I'm back in Russia,' one emotional soldier could be heard saying into a mobile phone. 'We'll see each other soon, they'll give me a phone soon. I'll call again in about an hour, keep your phone close. 'That's it, I love you, sweetheart, bye-bye!' Another could be heard thanking those who organized the exchange. A third said into a phone: 'Everything is fine. Send my greetings to everyone, I'll call you later, okay, mom?'

Russia's defense ministry suggested prisoners had been subjected to 'mortal danger' in Ukrainian captivity. Both Russia and Ukraine have been accused of maltreatment of prisoners by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The OHCHR said it had 'identified patterns of torture and ill-treatment of POWs held by the Russian Federation' as well as violations committed by Ukrainian state agents against prisoners, including sporadic cases of torture and ill-treatment. In Russia, this included, in one case, 'forc[ing] two wounded Ukrainian servicemen with broken legs to crawl about 500 meters to the closest Russian position', filmed and posted online.

Another reportedly died in an 'improvised detention facility' three days after capture 'because he was not provided with adequate medical assistance'. Ukrainian prisoners interned in Russian camps 'in almost all facilities' were 'held in cells, sometimes overcrowded, without any time outside for exercise'. Others held in improvised camps lacked sanitation and 'adequate living conditions' in the view of the OHCHR. More than 80 percent of returning prisoners complained about the quality or quantity of food, claiming meals were rotten or contained sand and small rocks. Others described being given just 250g of canned food a day for up to three months, and being forced to consume burning hot food in as little as 45 seconds.

Many returning have described poor sanitation resulting in widespread illness and infection, leading to people 'blacking out' from hunger and sickness. Prisoners in Ukraine have also described conditions of ill-treatment or torture. Many have complained of physical violence 'such as being punched in the face, and punched and kicked in the torso after surrendering'. Some reported being packed into trucks or minivans after capture, stripped with their hands behind their backs.

In one penal colony, prisoners reported receiving 'welcome beatings' and being beaten with sticks or shocked with tasers for moving after being made to kneel for several hours. The OCHCR also observed 'a pattern of poor or untimely legal aid'. Last month, the UK government released a statement condemning Russia's 'torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war'.

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