Prisoner exchange on Independence Day: SBU releases exclusive footage

According to the SBU, the exchange was the result of coordinated efforts by the Joint Center for the Coordination of the Search for and Release of Prisoners of War, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and other authorized bodies working under the instructions of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrinform reports.

As a result, Ukrainian servicemen from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service, as well as several civilians, were returned home. Many of them had been in captivity since 2022.

Among those released is journalist Dmytro Khyliuk, who was abducted in the Kyiv region in March 2022.

"The life of every Ukrainian is our highest value! We continue to work tirelessly to fulfill the Ukrainian president's directive and bring all our citizens home," the SBU said.