POW exchange on October 2: 185 servicemen and 20 civilians were returned from Russian captivity
On October 2, a combined exchange of prisoners of war took place, bringing 185 military personnel and 20 illegally detained civilians back to Ukraine. Some of them were released in accordance with agreements reached in Istanbul, while others were released as part of the regular exchange.
Almost all of those released had been in captivity since 2022. The oldest defender is 59 years old, and the youngest is 26. These are servicemen of the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular the Territorial Defense Forces, the Airborne Forces, the Navy, and the Ground Forces.
The soldiers defended Ukraine in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions. These included defenders of Mariupol and National Guard soldiers who were captured at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Among those released were two servicemen of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov.” This was reported by Colonel Denys “Redis” Prokopenko, commander of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov”:
Today, two servicemen of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. I welcome our brothers-in-arms, who spent almost three and a half years in the inhumane conditions of Russian prisons, back to their homeland, to their loved ones. Thank you for your strength of spirit and for your resilience.
He emphasized that every soldier who fought in Mariupol, did not betray his oath, and carried out his order must be exchanged.
News
see more
ICRC confirms it has had no access to Ukrainian POWs for two years
Russia has denied the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russian detention since 2024. “We can confirm the lack of access to POWs in Russia since 2024,” an ICRC spokesperson told Reuters on September 18.
Citizens of 51 Countries Held as Prisoners of War in Ukraine
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine have announced the launch of StopRussianRecruiters.org, an information platform documenting and exposing Russia’s deceptive recruitment of foreign nationals into its armed forces. The project also provides information about foreign prisoners of war held in Ukraine and calls on the governments of their respective countries to take diplomatic action to secure their return.
The UN Security Council holds an Arria-formula meeting on Ukrainian POWs
On August 10, the UN Security Council held an Arria-formula meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, dedicated to Russia's systematic violations of international humanitarian law against Ukrainian prisoners of war, civilian detainees, and foreign nationals. The event was convened by Latvia and the United Kingdom at Ukraine's initiative.
questions & answers
You can make a difference
Have a question, a message, or something important to share?
Whether it’s information, a concern, or a word of support, we want to hear from you.
Every voice matters.