Defense Ministry publishes video of Russian military returning from captivity

Russian servicemen returning from the Kiev-controlled territory after the exchange of prisoners of war with the Ukrainian side have crossed the border with Belarus. The corresponding footage was shared by the Russian Defense Ministry on January 15.

Released from captivity, 25 Russians are returning home by bus. They were given a phone at the Belarusian border so they could call their relatives.

One of the servicemen said that before he was brought to the camp of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), he had been in hospital in Kharkiv. There he was treated for a lung injury.

"There the guards were so, cigarette butts were extinguished against the hand. The medical staff, in principle, 50x50 - who still has some feelings towards Russians, well, Kharkiv, after all, the border is nearby. Others, on the contrary, said, let's slaughter you," the Russian said.

Earlier on January 15, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 25 Russian servicemen had been returned from the Kiev-controlled territory and 25 prisoners of war had been handed over to Ukraine. It was noted that at the moment all the military men of the Russian Armed Forces are in Belarus, where they are provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance. The fighters were also given the opportunity to contact their relatives.

Earlier, on December 30, 2024, Russia returned 150 military personnel from Ukrainian captivity as part of the exchange with Kiev. It was specified that the UAE also acted as an intermediary in the return of Russian servicemen from captivity. The fighters contacted their relatives on the same day.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the worsening situation in the region.