Ukraine has repatriated another 160 soldiers from captivity
Ukraine carried out another prisoner exchange and brought home 160 soldiers who had been held captive by Russia since 2022. Among those released are defenders from various units who fought on the front lines in the fiercest areas of combat. All of them are now back on Ukrainian soil and are receiving the necessary assistance.
Ukraine continues its complex and long-term efforts to bring its people home from Russian captivity, and this time, 160 soldiers who had spent more than two years in captivity have returned home. Many of them were taken prisoner back in 2022, when the fiercest battles were raging across various sectors of the front. Among those released are servicemen from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, the National Guard, and border guards. They took part in the battles for Mariupol and Azovstal, and also fought in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy sectors.
Each such exchange is the result of long and behind-the-scenes work by teams dedicated to the return of prisoners of war, as well as by servicemen who daily replenish the so-called exchange pool, risking their lives on the front lines. “Thank you to our entire team, which works every day to bring our people home,” the statement reads.
It is specifically emphasized that repatriation efforts are ongoing, and each name is verified individually, as the goal remains unchanged—to bring back everyone who is still in captivity, both military personnel and civilians. This was reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The European Union has stated that the proposed changes to the rules on temporary protection will not affect Ukrainians who are already in EU countries. This refers to men who left before the new rules took effect and already have this status. For them, the rules remain unchanged.
