POW exchange: 500 servicemen and two civilians returned to Ukraine under agreements reached in Geneva
On 5-6 March 2026, a two-day exchange of prisoners of war took place between Ukraine and Russia. On the first day, 200 military personnel returned to Ukraine, and on the second day, another 300. Separately, two civilians were also returned. The exchange was made possible by agreements reached in Geneva with the mediation of the United States.
Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Budanov noted:
“I would like to thank everyone who contributed to achieving such important results on the humanitarian track: US President Donald Trump and his administration, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff and the entire American negotiating team, as well as the United Arab Emirates. My gratitude goes to the Coordination Headquarters team and all the structures that, on behalf of the President of Ukraine, continue to work for the release of our prisoners.”
Those released include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the Air Assault Forces, the Navy, Territorial Defence Forces, the Air Force, the Unmanned Systems Forces, as well as fighters of the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service. Among those released are defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, defenders who protected the country in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
In total, since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has managed to return 8,050 of its citizens from Russian captivity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Ukrainian soldiers who are replenishing the exchange fund, the team that worked for the return, and the United States for its mediation:
“It is important that the agreements worked. We remember each and every one of them, and we must bring back all our people.”
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