Second Stage of the Easter Prisoner Exchange: 193 Ukrainians Home
On April 24, 2026, the second stage of the Easter prisoner of war exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place, resulting in the return of 193 Ukrainian defenders. These are representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including a significant number of paratroopers. Also returning home are fighters from the Naval Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard of Ukraine, National Police, State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service. The released Ukrainian prisoners are soldiers, sergeants, and several officers. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which expressed gratitude to the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates for their assistance in organizing the exchange.
“The distinctive feature of the current exchange is that we managed to bring back from captivity soldiers born in the 2000s, as well as defenders with injuries. The majority of those released were illegally held on the territory of Chechnya. Criminal cases were fabricated against some of them, which constitutes a violation of the Geneva Conventions,” the Coordination Headquarters stated.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets emphasized that all but one of the defenders had not been registered with the International Committee of the Red Cross, and one released prisoner of war had been considered missing in action. Going forward, the defenders who endured captivity will receive medical care as well as physical and psychological rehabilitation.
The first stage of the Easter exchange took place on April 11, when 172 prisoners of war and 7 civilians returned to Ukraine.
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