New major Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap prioritizes ill, wounded soldiers over numbers
The freed defenders include Mariupol veterans held for over three years and those who were considered missing in action.
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Russian captivity
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Ukraine’s spy agency seeks for sleeper agents among freed prisoners as Russia tries to brainwash and recruit them
Ukrainian counterintelligence officers analyze every returning prisoner, knowing Russian FSB agents spent months in torture chambers attempting psychological manipulation.
AP: Ukrainian POW Serhii Hryhoriev died in Russian prison—he is one of over 200
The tragic toll highlights abuse and neglect in Russian detention facilities, according to Ukrainian and international reports.
No Azov soldiers freed in 1000-for-1000 prisoner swap
More than 800 soldiers of the Ukrainian National Guard's Azov unit remain in Russian captivity since 2022.
Zelenskyy: “303 defenders are home” after final stage of 1000-for-1000 prisoner exchange
Soldiers from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and more are now receiving medical aid and support. Among the freed are National Guard members, border guards, and Mariupol defenders.
Ukrainian defenders who survived battle of Kyiv and over 1,000 days in Russian captivity return home in largest prisoner swap of war
This marks the first step in a deal to trade 1000 lives for 1000 between Ukraine and Russia, achieved in Turkiye.
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.
Ukraine returns body of journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna tortured in Russian captivity
Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna's remains showed signs of electric shock torture and severe weight loss. However, the exact cause of death has not been determined
Two Ukrainian OSCE staff remain in Russian captivity after three years
Two Ukrainian citizens working for the OSCE monitoring mission have been sentenced to 13 years and face deportation to Russia on fabricated espionage charges.
Ukrainian POW lost 40 kg in Russian captivity proving Russia’s human rights violations
Ivan Petrovsky defended Mariupol in the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion and was captured in May 2022.
“She couldn’t even lift her head”: Witness describes Roshchyna’s condition in Russian prison
A new investigation has uncovered that Russian captors tortured journalist Victoria Roshchyna with knives and electric shocks; her weight fell to 30 kilograms before her death.
4,131 people freed from Russian captivity, Ukraine says
Ukraine secured the return of 150 defenders on Monday, including many who spent over two and a half years in Russian captivity.
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.
Australian POW who was feared dead may be alive in Russian captivity
After weeks of speculation about death following a disturbing interrogation video, Australian Prime Minister acknowledged receiving Russian diplomatic notification that Oscar Jenkins remains alive in detention.
Abducted Ukrainain mayor of town in Zaporizhzhia Oblast dies in Russian captivity
Russian forces captured the mayor of Dniprorudne in late February 2022, leading to his eventual death in captivity.
Former British soldier fighting for Ukraine captured by Russia in Kursk
A 22-year-old former British Army signalman has been captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine's International Legion in the Kursk Oblast.
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.
“Real nature of Kremlin regime:” EU condemns Russian glorification of increasing Ukrainian POW executions
Recent incidents of large-scale killings of unarmed Ukrainian soldiers expose what the EU describes as "the real nature of the regime in the Kremlin."
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.
Mariupol Defender reclaims voice and spirit after 2.5 years in Russian captivity
Ukrainian Marine Yura Hulchuk captured hearts nationwide after his release from Russian captivity, arriving home unable to speak or respond emotionally to his mother’s tearful embrace. Now, Yura has finally broken his silence and is making significant progress in his recovery.