President's Office Head Andriy Yermak reported that 108 Ukrainian women were freed from Russian captivity on Oct. 17.
Yermak said the released Ukrainian prisoners include 37 soldiers from Azovstal, 11 officers, and 85 privates and sergeants. He added that 12 of them are civilians.
"Among those released were (also) women illegally imprisoned before the large-scale invasion," Yermak said. "Now, all the women will undergo medical checks and rehabilitation. They will hug their relatives and their children and recover."
The latest prisoner swap is the largest exchange since Sept. 21, when 215 prisoners of war, including Azovstal defenders, were returned from Russian captivity.
Among those released in September were 124 Ukrainian officers, including high-profile commanders such as lieutenant colonel of the National Guard of Ukraine Denys Prokopenko, Azov deputy commander Sviatoslav Palamar, as well as the commander of the 36th marine brigade Serhii Volynskyi. All of them were the faces of the Azovstal defense.
According to President's Office Head Andriy Yermak, 10 foreigners who fought for Ukraine were also released under the swap. They include foreign soldiers who were illegally sentenced to death by Russia's proxies in the occupied territories of Donetsk Oblast.
