Over 1,200 Azovstal defenders returned from Russian captivity – Yusov

He stated this during a program on Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, according to Ukrinform.

"In total, around 2,500 defenders from various units were withdrawn or evacuated from Azovstal. As of today, 1,279 of them have already been returned from captivity. That means more than half of the Azovstal garrison have been released from Russian captivity," Yusov said.

He added that 455 of those freed were fighters from the Azov Regiment, as part of prisoner exchanges coordinated by the Headquarters.

"In terms of statistics, especially compared to other units, these are encouraging numbers. But of course, statistics cannot replace loved ones for individual families," he said.

Yusov also stated that during the most recent exchange, Ukraine succeeded in freeing prisoners from 46 military units and divisions that had not previously been included in exchange lists.

Addressing concerns raised by Azov Regiment leadership over the absence of their soldiers in recent exchange lists, Yusov emphasized the sensitivity of the issue.

"This is an extremely sensitive and painful topic for everyone involved. That's why any public comment must be careful, balanced, and focused on the best interests of the prisoners – taking into account their current situation in captivity, their rights, and the goal of returning them to Ukraine as soon as possible," he said.

He declined to specify when Azov fighters were last returned from captivity, explaining that public mention of the regiment complicates efforts.

"Our prisoners are in Putin's hands, not in Ukraine. Russian intelligence services involved in prisoner issues exploit these topics for their war against Ukraine. The more public attention is drawn to specific individuals or units, the more likely it is that Russia will use that to make the situation worse and delay the return of prisoners overall," Yusov said.

On May 23, Ukraine secured the return of 390 prisoners of war under the "1,000-for-1,000" exchange agreement reached with Russia during talks in Istanbul on May 16.

On May 24, 307 Ukrainian service members were returned from Russian captivity.

On May 25, during the third stage of the exchange, Ukraine brought home another 303 defenders.