Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in Istanbul on Friday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announced Saturday that the commanders of five Azov Battalions, who were in Türkiye, have returned to their country.
“We are returning home from Türkiye and bringing our heroes home. Ukrainian soldiers Denys Prokopenko, Svyatoslav Palamar, Serhiy Volynsky, Oleh Khomenko, Denys Shleha. They will finally be with their relatives. Glory to Ukraine!” Zelenskyy said on Twitter. He greeted the soldiers in the video he tweeted.
The Azov Battalion commanders, included in a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, were in Türkiye for security purposes.
Zelenskyy visited Türkiye and met Erdoğan to discuss regional and international relations, including the latest developments in the war. The prisoner exchange came after Zelenskyy’s visit.
The Ukrainian president also expressed gratitude for Ankara’s constant support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has repeatedly urged Kyiv and Moscow to end the war through talks.
