We will return everyone: Zelensky comments on third stage of exchange

 “I am very happy that the first group of our citizens has already been released. They were held captive in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk region. Actions are now underway to release another group of people from the territories of Luhansk region, which are, unfortunately, temporarily occupied also. But the time will come and we will return everything. First of all, as we said, we return everyone, both within the framework of the Minsk agreements and within the framework of the Normandy Four arrangements. We will release everyone and will struggle until every Ukrainian returns home,” Zelensky said in a video address during his working trip to Zakarpattia region, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He stressed that he was happy with the return of every compatriot: servicemen, heroes, political prisoners, ordinary citizens as all of them, according to Zelensky, are heroes "because they were behind the bars, because they defended Ukraine, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity."

The Office of the President released the names of 20 liberated Ukrainians who had been held in captivity in the occupied territories.

As reported, the next stage of mutual release of detained persons, who had been in captivity in the temporarily occupied territories, had begun in the morning. Given the quarantine restrictions currently in force in the country, the released Ukrainians will be sent for mandatory observation upon their return.

The mutual release of detained persons takes place within the framework of “all for all” format.

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