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.
News
see more
EU imposed sanctions on the heads and staff of colonies where Ukrainian POWs are tortured
On 13 July, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision imposing restrictive measures on 15 individuals and one entity responsible for violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war and unlawfully detained civilians. Most of those listed are heads and staff of penal colonies where prisoners are held.
Around 700 Azov POWs in captivity, over 250 already sentenced: presentation of the Civic Evidence report
On June 30, in Kyiv, at Ukrinform, the independent initiative Civic Evidence presented its report "The Honorable Captivity of Azov: How Propaganda, Violence, and Trials Shape the Fate of Ukrainian Prisoners of War in Russia." The study focuses on the situation of Ukrainian prisoners of war from the Azov regiment and exposes a mechanism that combines Russian propaganda machinery, practices of torture, and fabricated criminal prosecution. The authors document the systemic nature of Russia's violations of international humanitarian law and call for strengthening international mechanisms to protect prisoners of war.
Russian medics torture prisoners of war: a new study by human rights defenders
On 24 June, the Center for Civil Liberties presented the analytical study "Anatomy of Torture" in Kyiv. The document examines the role of Russian medical personnel in the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and illegally detained civilians.
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.