"Symbol of Ukrainian Resistance". The main facts about the exchange of 200 Ukrainian heroes, the issuance of Medvedchuk "In the Great Prison of Russia" and the reaction of the world
For the return of 205 Ukrainians and 10 foreigners, Ukraine transferred 56 people to Russia: 215 people were released from the Russian captivity instead, 188 of whom defended Azovstal and Mariupol. In general, Ukraine managed to exchange 108 Azov fighters, as well as servicemen who represent: there are 8 wounded during a terrorist attack in Olenivka, when Russia struck a colony in the occupied part of Donetsk region, where Ukrainian prisoners of war, including Azov.
Then at least 40 Ukrainian defenders were killed - mostly Mariupol's defenders. The full list of all 215 released persons is given below. Turkey and Saudi Arabia were mediators of the exchange procedure. Under the personal guarantees of Turkish President Recep Taiip Erdogan, five commanders defended Mariupol and Azovstal to Turkey. All of them, according to the arrangements, will be on Turkish land until the end of the war in Ukraine.
These are "five superheroes", as Volodymyr Zelenskyy called them: ten released foreigners were taken to Saudi Arabia, including citizens: it is known that among the released - British Eiden Aslin and Sean Pinner, as well as Moroccan Saadun Bragim, whom fictitious "court" court "DNR" quasi -republics "sentenced" to death in June 2022 and which defended Ukraine in the Armed Forces. DNR fighters threatened them with execution.
Also released by Americans Alexander Drewuke and Andy Hun were considered to be the first US citizens to be captured in Ukraine. The United States and the United Kingdom have already thanked Ucarin for inclusion in their citizens in exchange. The rest of the defenders are already in the territory of Ukraine, they were met after captivity by the so -called. SBU Chairman Vasyl Malyuk, Deputy Chief of GUR Dmitry Usov and Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets.
According to the public, this exchanger was held in the Chernihiv region. All the fates of Ukrainian defenders - the history of extraordinary habitation, courage and endurance, for some of them all Ukraine followed the first days of Mariupol's defense.
Among other heroes from the Russian captivity were released: Dmitry Kozatsky (Orest)-a senior soldier and a fighter of the Azov Regiment, a photo and video of which from Azovstal testified the courage of Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol, flew around the world and won several photo competitions.
Medic Kateryna Polishchuk ("Bird") is a paramedic-Volunteer of the National Guard of Ukraine, whose singing in the dungeons of Azovstal was filmed and spread Ukrainian defenders on Mariupol's most difficult days of defense. Three pregnant defenders: Yana Shumovetska, Anastasia Chernenka and Maryana Mamonova-a 30-year-old military doctor, a captain of a medical service, who is now in the last months of pregnancy.
Yevgeny Bova - Hero of Ukraine, commander of the first separate battalion of the Marines. Lev Pashko - Hero of Ukraine, Commander of the Azov Company. Mikhail Dianov ("pianist") is a marine infantryman who was injured in the hand and whom the Ukrainians were remembered for a number of photos from the azovstal: he was both among a collection of photos From the bins of the azovstal. Mikhail Vershinin ("Cat"), the head of the Mariupol patrol police.
His release was separately commented by photographer Yevgeny Maloletka, who, together with his colleague Mstislav Chernov, managed to record in the photo and video numerous military crimes of the Russians in the first days of Mariupol's defense. “This good news was waiting. We are obliged to Michael a lot. Ukraine is returning its heroes step by step, but many guys are still waiting for this opportunity, ”Maloletka wrote.
Mykola Kushche and Konstantin Nikitenko are servicemen who have been condemned by militants to death. The simultaneous inclusion from several points where the released defenders of Ukraine was sent, on the evening of September 21, showed the President's office in the 18-minute video. In these staff, the first appeals to the Ukrainians were voiced in particular by the commanders who ruled the defense of Azovstal and Mariupol and are now in Turkey.
Next to them were the head of the GUR Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Denis Monastyrsky. The Deputy Commander of the Regiment Azovsvytoslav Palamar ("Kalina") immediately after his release thanked everyone who now defends Ukraine: “I want to thank all the defenders of Ukraine, who right now, right on this day, directly perform their combat missions at this hour at this hour who are fighting for our Ukraine. " "Glory to Ukraine! Mr.
President, we all have a good health, satisfactory. Thank you and the whole team, ”said the regiment commander Azov Denis Prokopenko (Radis). And in the video from the Ukrainian territory, where columns with two hundred liberated defenders were visible how one of them leanses to kiss the land. "Real, the best land in the world!" - says the Ukrainian defender emotionally.
The first in the free territory of Ukraine was settled by a 30-year-old physician Maryana Mamonova, who is in the last stages of pregnancy and at the time of captivity helped the defenders of Mariupol. The news of the large -scale exchange of prisoners, including Azov commanders, stunned Ukraine with joy for returned at the end of an extremely alarming day, when Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced partial mobilization in the Russian Federation and voiced new nuclear threats.
However, the issue of the exchange of prisoners was resolved much earlier than the Russian decision on mobilization, and therefore Putin could not disrupt the agreement that was guaranteed and already announced by Turkey, explained on September 22, the adviser to the Interior Minister Vadim Denysenko on the air of the telecast. He recalled that Turkish head Recep Erdogan was a guarantor of arrangements and already announced on September 20 the 200 Ukrainian prisoners of Ukrainian.
“To break the exchange meant to aggravate relations with Turkey, with a country that is a key partner for providing Russia with sub -goods. Putin was forced to agree on what he had previously agreed, and this exchange was carried out, ”Denysenko explained. According to T. V. SBU Chairman Vasyl Malyuk, directly to Viktor Medvedchuk, exchanged 200 of her citizens, while five more Ukrainians (probably Mariupol's defense commanders - ed. ) were released by exchange for 55 Russian prisoners.
"We exchanged one fan of Russia for 200 soldiers," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, explaining that at first the Russian Federation offered to issue only 50 prisoners for him. The Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin later informed that the pre -trial investigation into Medvedchuk was completed. "We do not release anyone to freedom, but pass from the Ukrainian prison in a great prison, called Russia," Kostin added.
And the head of the Security Service of Ukraine noted that Medvedchuk is "it is not just Putin's godfather, but a qualitatively documented state traitor. " "His guilt is fully fixed in the relevant materials," the baby said.
He explained that the former leader of the now forbidden in Ukraine with Ukraine gave Ukraine all the necessary testimony, and during his work on his criminal cases, "a number of agent networks were disposed of, detained state traitors were detained and a large amount of information used in counterintelligence was obtained.
" The baby also noted that the exchange of Viktor Medvedchuk on Ukrainian prisoners of war did not interfere with the consideration of his cases in court, nor to impose a punishment, nor confiscation of the arrested property of Medvedchuk. The decision on the exchange of Medvedchuk was made by the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters on the management of prisoners of war, he himself gave consent to such a step.
Therefore, the court granted the prosecutor's request for the issuance of Medvedchuk of the Russian Federation, and the legislation was amended that made his exchange.
In general, large -scale exchange was prepared for several months with the participation of the office of the President and his chairman Andriy Yermak, the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces, the GUR, the Ministry of Reintegration, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the SES and other Ukrainian authorities. "It is not just a rule for us to" not throw our "," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, commenting on a successful exchange of 215 people from Russian captivity.
“We remember all our people and try to save every Ukrainian. This is the meaning of Ukraine, our essence, we are different from the enemy, ”the President emphasized. Zelensky, the head of the OP, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the head of the GUR also assured that the work on the release of all Ukrainian citizens who remain in Russian captivity continues.
The Guardian reminds that after the weeks of Russian bombardment, Mariupol continued the refusal of Ukrainian defenders to give up, despite the lack of ammunition, food and medicines, "brought them glory throughout Ukraine through their heroism in the fight against the predominant number and fire. The publication emphasizes the stunning price of the exchange for the Russian Federation, noting that "Putin Medvedchuk" has exchanged 200 Ukrainian fighters, including Azov.
DW also points to the significance of the stories of those Ukrainians who were at large and among whom were the fighters who headed the defense of the Mariupol Metallurgical Combine Azovstal - an act that became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. " The German service also reminds that Medvedchuk was called "Putin's right hand in Ukraine.
" Financial Times places a separate emphasis on the dismissal of 10 foreigners and gives a thank you in gratitude to the authorities of Ukraine from the US and the United Kingdom. At the same time, volunteers from the United States, Germany and France and other Western countries have already died due to Russia.
FT also emphasizes that the first data on the exchange appeared only a few hours after Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization "after a number of military failures and threatened with nuclear war if" territorial integrity "Russia is threatened. " The publication also draws attention to the mediation of Saudi Arabia, a traditional US ally, a step that the kingdom decided after the decision to remain "neutral" against Russia's invasion of Russia.
The intermediary role of Saudi Arabia did not prevent partner oil agreements with Russia within the OPEC+. CNN, which also pays primary attention to the release of Americans, reports that their families did not know about the future exchange of prisoners. Reuters calls a large -scale exchange of "unexpected", reminding that Russia -supported DNR militants have recently declared their intention to arrange a "court" over the Azov military personnel, which Moscow's propaganda calls "Nazis.
" The court was supposedly to take place by the end of the summer. Instead, the agency reminds that Denis Prokopenko, Svyatoslav Palamar and Sergey Volynskyi "helped to lead persistent multi -week resistance in bins and tunnels under a giant mariupol steel combine. " The Washington Post, commenting on a "dramatic" exchange, reminds Western readers that "Medvedchuk is considered a close friend of Vladimir Putin, who is the godfather of Medvedchuk's daughter.
" The publication draws attention to the fact that in the first hours the Russian side was silent about the exchange, not commenting or recognizing the issuance of 215 captives in exchange for Medvedchuk and 55 of its military. WP also suggests that the successful exchange that Ukraine has conducted will now increase the pressure on Baiden's administration, which tries to release two Americans from Russian prisons - WNBA star Britney Grainer and the veteran of Marine Corps Paul Velan.