Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently met with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War to review the progress of prisoner exchanges that have occurred this year and to prepare for future exchanges.
In a social media post, Zelensky expressed hope for the imminent return of Ukrainians currently held captive in Russia and in temporarily occupied territories. He noted that the Coordination Headquarters has processed the necessary documents and lists for exchanges and is in continuous communication with Russian authorities regarding these humanitarian issues. “We remember all our people who are still in Russian captivity: both military personnel and civilians, with particular attention to those captured before the full-scale invasion began,” he stated.
The meeting also addressed requests from international organizations and collaboration with partners aimed at securing the release of detained individuals. Zelensky emphasized the importance of making progress across all categories of prisoners, including journalists, city mayors, community leaders, energy workers, and various military personnel, particularly those for whom the exchange process has been particularly challenging. “Our goal is to bring all our people home from captivity,” he affirmed.
He further mentioned that the Ukrainian side is verifying all information and checking every name. “It often happens that a person is listed as missing, but we find them in camps in Russia and return them to Ukraine. This work will continue. We will also engage with some leaders of partner countries for additional steps,” Zelensky added.
On April 24, as part of the 73rd exchange between Ukraine and Russia, 193 Ukrainian servicemen returned home from Russian captivity. These individuals had defended Ukraine in various regions, including Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kursk. In this exchange, Ukraine also transferred 193 Russian prisoners.
Previous Prisoner Exchanges
On July 28, 2025, Zelensky reported that since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine had successfully returned 5,857 individuals from captivity, with over 550 more released outside of formal exchanges.
On August 3, the president announced an agreement with Russia for the exchange of 1,200 individuals, stating that work on the relevant lists was ongoing.
On August 14, 84 Ukrainians, including military personnel and civilians, returned home from Russian captivity. The 68th exchange occurred on August 24, resulting in the return of military personnel and eight civilians unlawfully detained by Russia.
The 69th exchange took place on October 2, 2025, leading to the return of 185 defense forces and 20 civilians. Subsequently, on February 5, 2026, 157 individuals, including military and civilian personnel, were returned, with an equal number sent to Russia.
On March 5, 2026, 200 individuals, including servicemen from various branches of the military, were released from Russian captivity. The following day, 300 Ukrainian servicemen and two civilians were also returned.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, on March 6, Ukraine transferred 300 Russian military personnel, who are currently in Belarus before being sent to Russia.
On April 11, just before Easter, 175 Ukrainian defenders and seven civilians returned home from Russian captivity. On April 12, the head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, announced preparations for another prisoner exchange.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined the ongoing efforts to facilitate prisoner exchanges with Russia, emphasizing the importance of returning all detained individuals. Recent exchanges have successfully brought hundreds of Ukrainian servicemen and civilians back home, highlighting the continuous humanitarian efforts amid the conflict.