Croatian foreign fighter Vjekoslav Prebeg, who was released from Russian detention this week, thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, Croatian PM, Andrej Plenkovic, and Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, for their efforts to include him in an exchange of ten prisoners between Russia and Ukraine.

Prebeg arrived in Zagreb on Thursday. He was arrested in May near Mariupol after trying to escape the city with members of a Ukrainian marine unit. He was out on trial and accused by pro-Russian separatist authorities of taking part in the war as a Ukrainian hired mercenary, a crime punishable by death.

In August he pleaded not guilty in a court deposition. Prebeg was tried together with one Swedish and three British nationals.

“I would like to thank PM Andrej Plenkovic for all what he has done in the last months for me. I would like to thank Croatian Foreign Minister (Gordan Grlic-Radman). I would like to thank President Zelensky who, in cooperation with our minister and PM, has done a lot for me and has seen to it that we are released from the captivity,” Prebeg told state television HTV.

He also thanked the Saudi Crown Prince for mediating the release. The released prisoners were transported from eastern Ukraine via Rostov-on-Don to Saudi Arabia, and from there Prebeg was flown to Zagreb.

Upon his arrival in Zagreb, Prebeg was taken to the KB Dubrava hospital which reported that the patient was in good physical condition but “emotionally shaken.”

“The traces of a wound to his right shoulder are still visible. We will conduct a thorough medical check-up necessary for any person who has experienced torture in a camp. I believe that he will stay in the hospital just one day before getting discharged,” surgeon Toni Kolak said on Thursday afternoon.