President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that another prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place today, with 157 Ukrainians returning home.
The announcement was made during a joint media briefing in Kyiv with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Zelenskyy said,
“Today there is an exchange. I congratulate all the families who will soon reunite with their loved ones. This is very good. 157 Ukrainian servicemen have returned home.” He added that further exchanges will be discussed today in Abu Dhabi at the subgroup level: “I think the groups will meet again and address this issue… We need to raise the question of future exchanges.”
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, reported that 139 of the 157 Ukrainians released today had been held captive since 2022.
He noted: “Today we brought home 157 Ukrainians – both military personnel and civilians. It was a long and tense operation, and we achieved a worthy result. 139 of those released had been in captivity since 2022.”
Among those returning are 19 defenders who had been unlawfully sentenced, 15 of them to life imprisonment, including defenders of Mariupol. Budanov emphasized that these individuals endured extremely difficult trials but persevered.
“They will be able to hear the voices of their loved ones and embrace their families today. Ahead lies recovery and rehabilitation. We remember everyone who remains in captivity. The release of all our citizens remains our constant priority in every negotiation,” he added.
Budanov expressed gratitude to the team of the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner Affairs and all involved agencies for their professional and complex work, and he specifically thanked partners from the United States and the United Arab Emirates for their crucial mediation and support.
According to the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner Affairs, 150 military personnel and seven civilians returned from Russian captivity.
Those returning include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – from the Navy, Ground Forces, Territorial Defense, Air Assault Forces, and Air Force – as well as personnel from the National Guard and State Border Service. Alongside soldiers and sergeants, several officers were also released.
The freed servicemen defended Ukraine on the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, and Kyiv fronts. More than half of today’s released defenders were captured during the defense of Mariupol.
Also returning is a National Guard serviceman who had been captured during Russia’s seizure of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Of the 157 Ukrainians released, 139 had been in Russian captivity since 2022.
A notable feature of today’s exchange is the return of unlawfully sentenced Ukrainians. The youngest released defender is 23 years old; he was captured at 19 during the defense of Mariupol and was illegally sentenced to life imprisonment by a Russian court. The oldest released defender is 63 years old.
Those freed will undergo full medical examinations, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, and all state-provided benefits. Ukraine will ensure their reintegration into society after prolonged isolation in Russian captivity.
