UKRAINE, Aug 25 — On August 24, Ukraine returned from Russian captivity 12 Kharkiv Oblast residents, reported Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Kharkiv region.  

Yesterday, on Ukraine’s Independence Day, Russia and Ukraine conducted the 68th prisoner exchange.

Dmytro Lubyinets, ombudsman, said that, during this exchange, Ukraine returned eight civilians and soldiers, the number of whom is not specified. 

The Armed Forces, National Guard, and Border Guard servicemen were among the freed. Russia has held most of them in captivity since 2022, said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Syniehubov said that among the 12 Kharkiv Oblast residents, five are from Kharkiv itself, two from Izium, two from Kupiansk, and one each from the Lozova, Kharkiv, and Kupiansk districts.

As of July, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine has returned 5,857 POWs in exchanges and 555 outside of them.

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