In a conversation with reporters, Yusov noted that they were working on the return of “a significantly larger number of defenders” on the eve of the holiday.
On this day, 175 military and seven civilians were exchanged. GUR representative assured that the next operations to free captured Ukrainians are already being prepared.
“Unfortunately, the enemy rejected the humanitarian initiatives for which we were ready, like many other things. At the same time, the work continues. We can very cautiously say that activities will continue in the near future, and I can say that today was only the beginning of the Easter exchange,” he emphasized.
Yusov also commented on the condition of those who returned that day.
“It’s very difficult to imagine what they went through during that time. You see that the guys are returning in different conditions, more than 60 of them were wounded… The ambulances today, unfortunately, were not empty, and the crews [медиков] provided assistance immediately. There are consequences of improper treatment and chronic diseases. The conditions of detention do not comply with the Geneva Conventions,” he said.
Context
Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets in interview founder of the publication “GORDON” I told Dmitry Gordon that about 1.8 thousand citizens of Ukraine were verifiedwho are in Russian captivity. The interview was published on January 3, 2026.
According to Lubinets, during preliminary exchanges on March 5 and 6, 500 Ukrainian defenders returned home. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 6,922 Ukrainians have been freed.
