A total of 270 Ukrainian soldiers and 120 civilians have returned home — the first stage of the largest prisoner exchange since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, brokered in Istanbul.
On Tuesday, 23 May, Ukraine and Russia began the first phase of a major “1000 for 1000” prisoner exchange.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that 390 Ukrainians have returned, with Ukraine transferring an equal number of individuals to Russia.
The released Ukrainian defenders had fought from Kyiv to Kherson, including in the battles for Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donbas, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Defense Intelligence reports.
All returnees are now undergoing medical evaluations, receiving physical and psychological rehabilitation, financial compensation, and support for reintegration into civilian life or military service.
This is just the beginning: Ukraine is preparing to welcome the next wave of liberated captives in the coming days. The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters is continuing its work around the clock.