Ukraine carried out the 76th prisoner exchange: 160 Ukrainian defenders are finally home
All service members have been in captivity since 2022
On Friday, 26 June 2026, Ukraine returned from Russian captivity another 160 servicemen. All those released were taken prisoner back in 2022.
The return of the Defenders was reported by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Coordination Headquarters on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Among those released are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service.
Returning home were members of the Ground Forces, Support Forces, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Air Force, Medical Forces and Naval Forces.
They defended Ukraine in Mariupol and at “Azovstal”, and also fought on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy fronts.
Among the freed are 115 defenders of Mariupol. In addition to soldiers and sergeants, the exchange managed to return 58 officers.
The youngest released Defender is 26 years old, the oldest is 66 years old.
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked everyone who worked on returning Ukrainians, as well as the military personnel who replenish the exchange pool.
The Coordination Headquarters noted that this was the 76th prisoner exchange. It was carried out at the direction of the President of Ukraine.
All released will undergo medical examinations, receive necessary treatment, monetary payments and documents. They will also go to rehabilitation after prolonged isolation in Russian captivity.
Overall, during the work of the Coordination Headquarters, 9606 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians have been returned from Russian captivity.
The Coordination Headquarters thanked the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates for mediation and assistance in organizing the exchange.
Previously we wrote:
- Korabelnyi District welcomed Borys Kurtenko after 4 years in Russian captivity
- Ukraine returned 186 people from Russian captivity, including defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal
- Almost four years in Russian captivity: Ukraine returned 205 defenders
- During the exchange on April 24, 8 prisoners of war from the Mykolaiv region returned — nearly fifty recently
- Finally home: 193 Ukrainian Defenders will see their families again
