The SSU, together with units of the Defense Forces, is working to replenish the exchange fund by capturing russian servicemen on the battlefield. Organizing exchanges and returning Ukrainian defenders and civilians home from russian captivity is one of the top priorities set by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

This was stated by the SSU Head Vasyl Maliuk at a joint briefing with the heads of the Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights.

‘The return of Ukrainian defenders is a top-priority task set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. And this is an important part of our efforts. SSU officers are successfully working to replenish our exchange fund as much as possible,’ Vasyl Maliuk said.

He added that the negotiation group, which has been preparing exchanges on behalf of the Coordination Staff for Treatment of PoWs, is now being expanded. It will include representatives of the SSU, the MoD Defence Intelligence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Armed Forces, the FISU and the Ombudsman.

‘I am confident that this composition will make it possible to combine our efforts and more effectively fight for every Ukrainian defender in order to bring them home. It is the synergy and combination of our efforts that will soon bear fruit,’ Vasyl Maliuk is convinced.

The SSU Head noted that this applies to the organization of swaps not only of servicemen, but also of civilians, including those illegally detained by russia since 2014.

Vasyl Maliuk also said that during fierce fighting in Kursk region, russia, the SSU Special Operations Center ‘A’ captured more than a hundred russian military personnel, including officers and servicemen of the Akhmat unit.

‘Yesterday we carried out a complex operation that resulted in the capture of 102 russians. We are already thinking about how to make the most of this and bring our defenders home,’ the SSU Chief said.

At the same time, he emphasized that the SSU Military Counterintelligence and SSU investigators are currently working with the captured russians, including to document war crimes committed by them in the war in Ukraine.

After the prisoners give full testimony and undergo all the procedures provided for by law and carried out by the Defence Intelligence and the SSU, the Ukrainian side will be able to negotiate their exchange with russia.