"I love you so much." It is the farewell of a Ukrainian soldier to his mother in the first and emotional call upon returning to his country after a prisoner swap with Russia. The video, released by the Ombudsman of Ukraine, captures all the emotions - anguish, relief, hope - of this emergency communication to inform that he is alive and on safe territory: "I am already in Ukraine".
The Government of this country has not provided the identity or the unit to which the soldier belongs, who tearfully tries to convey the good news of his release and, then, to ask about the sex of the child he was expecting before leaving for the front. "Girl," replies her mother, the grandmother of the newborn, in a conversation in which the feelings of both are mixed with other close voices. In the end, the person who has established the connection refers to the soldier's mother that they are going to take him to a hospital for an examination and later they will be able to talk again.
On Monday, the latest prisoner-of-war exchange between Russia and Ukraine was confirmed. The head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, Andrii Yermak, reported the return of a hundred people. "We repatriated 100 of our men, soldiers, sailors, border guards and members of the National Guard," said Yermak, who said the swap was "difficult."
"Some are seriously injured and suffering from illness. We will do what is necessary so that everyone receives the necessary help," he added on Telegram. The previous prisoner exchange between Kiev and Moscow had occurred on March 7, when Ukraine recovered 130 of its military and Russia 90. In December 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that more than 1,300 prisoners had been repatriated by Kiev in these swaps since the start of the war. To this sum should be added the unspecified number of those who have been included in subsequent exchanges.
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