205 Ukrainian soldiers return home after years in Russian captivity
Among the released are defenders of the besieged and occupied in 2022 city of Mariupol.
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prisoner exchange
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Russia and Ukraine swap 500+ prisoners in what may be the biggest exchange yet
Freed Ukrainians include Mariupol defenders, injured troops, and one woman held since 2022.
Russia and Ukraine set for massive prisoner swap on Saturday as peace talks stall
Russia and Ukraine might exchange nearly 500 prisoners in a deal brokered by the UAE, media reports.
Zelenskyy: Release of all Ukrainian prisoners may be a step towards ending the war
Ukraine is ready to exchange all prisoners with Russia in what President Zelenskyy called a "fair option" during the Support Ukraine summit marking three years of full-scale war.
Captured North Korean soldier in Ukraine requests asylum in South Korea
Seoul is ready to accept the captured North Korean soldier seeking asylum. Ukraine initially considered a POW exchange, but is open to transferring DPRK POWs to South Korea.
Ukraine returned 150 defenders from Russian captivity, some held over 2 years
"For them and their families, this day carries more weight than all the years of waiting," President Zelenskyy said.
“You torture Russians, too” UN says, as skeletal Ukrainian prisoners of war return from captivity
While Ukraine grants UN monitors full access to its POW facilities, Russian detention centers remain completely closed to outside observers. The condition of returning Ukrainian prisoners—marked by visible signs of torture and neglect—underscores mounting allegations of war crimes.
Ukraine wants just peace, won’t accept “peace at any price,” UN envoy says
“Peace through strength is the only effective tool to stop the aggressor and ensure a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace,” Kyslytsya says.
Russia reportedly sentences seven Ukrainian POWs to 16-year terms in trial over Kursk incursion
Russia's use of its judiciary to legitimize prisoner detention and wartime propaganda.
Ukraine brings back Azovstal, Chornobyl defenders from Russian captivity
The successful operation brings the total number of freed Ukrainians to over 3,900.
Ukraine documents 177 POW executions by Russian forces as war crime videos surge
Russian forces increasingly shoot and share their execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war videos, with confirmed cases more than doubling in 2024 amid international inaction.
Russia offers largest yet 630-for-630 POW swap to Ukraine
The Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson reportedly announced this, stating that Russia leaves it to Ukraine to decide which Russian military personnel to include in exchanges.
Ukraine captures sole survivor of Russian assault – an Egyptian IT student
Ukrainian forces in Donetsk Oblast capture an Egyptian IT student who, after receiving a Russian passport, Russia conscripted and deployed to the front.
95 Ukrainian defenders return from Russian captivity, including Azov fighters and POWs facing life sentences
Among those released was Maksym Butkevych, a Ukrainian human rights activist and serviceman, who was captured near Luhansk in 2022 and sentenced to 13 years in Russia. The exchange also saw the return of Vladyslav Andrianov, an Azov fighter who survived the Olenivka prison massacre and faced a 25-year sentence in Russia.
Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna confirmed dead in Russian captivity
Roshchyna, a journalist working with RFE/RL, went missing in August 2023 while traveling to occupied territories and was slated for a prisoner exchange.
Ukraine swaps 103 POWs, including 23 Azovstal defenders from Azov Brigade
Ukraine exchanged POWs with Russia, bringing home 103 defenders, including 82 privates and sergeants, and 21 officers. The freed soldiers are from various military units, with many held captive since the all-out war's early days.
Ukraine returns 115 prisoners of war on Independence Day, first exchange after Kursk incursion
This POWs exchange includes 82 defenders of Mariupol, captured in the early months of the full-scale invasion. President Zelenskyy thanked military units for replenishing Ukraine's "exchange fund," enabling the return of 115 defenders.
Frontline report: Russia initiates POW exchange talks after Ukraine captures 2,000+ Russian soldiers in Kursk Oblast
Ukraine captured over 2,000 Russian soldiers in Kursk, prompting Russia to initiate prisoner exchange negotiations for the first time. Ukrainian Military Intelligence prioritizes the return of seriously wounded, ill individuals, and long-term captives, while Russian focus remains on conscripts.
Germany releases Russian hitman, enabling largest post-Cold War prisoner exchange
Germany's decision to release Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin convicted of a Chechen rebel murder in Berlin, proved crucial and ordered by Putin himself in facilitating a major West-Russia prisoner exchange, initially aimed at freeing Aleksei Navalny, but instead returning other high-profile political prisoners and dissidents in exchange for spies and cybercriminals.
Ministry announces program to swap convicted Russian collaborators for Ukrainian POWs
Ukraine has announced a project to exchange convicted collaborationists for Ukrainian POWs, publicizing info about Russian agents and allowing them to agree to these exchanges.
