During the exchange on October 2, two servicemen of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Azov became the center of Mariupol's defense and held the Azovstal steel plant. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 300 Azov soldiers were killed while defending Mariupol. According to Denys Prokopenko, more than 800 servicemen of the 12th Azov Brigade are in Russian captivity. In a post on May 25, the commander of Azov called the actions of those involved in the return of Azov soldiers ineffective.