Ukraine Secures Return of 205 Soldiers in First Phase of Major 1,000-for-1,000 Prisoner Swap With Russia

Ukraine has carried out the first stage of a major “1,000-for-1,000” prisoner exchange with Russia, securing the return of 205 Ukrainian service members from captivity, authorities said on May 15.

According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War on May 15, the exchange was conducted in line with agreements reached with mediation from the United States.

The freed Ukrainians include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including personnel from the Navy, Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Air Force, as well as fighters from the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service.

Officials said nearly all of those released had spent around four years in captivity, with many captured during the defense of Mariupol. The duration of captivity, according to the headquaters, is one of the key criteria used in forming exchange lists under the “1,000-for-1,000” framework.

More than 50 officers were also included among those returned, alongside enlisted personnel and sergeants.

Among the released is a National Guardsman who was captured at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant during the early stages of the full-scale invasion. The youngest freed serviceman is 21 years old, while the oldest is 62.

The returnees fought across multiple frontline directions, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kyiv regions.

Following their release, all liberated servicemen will be transported to medical facilities for examinations, treatment, and rehabilitation. They will also be provided with documentation and entitled financial support, the headquaters reported.

Earlier, Russian authorities have returned the remains of 375 Ukrainian military personnel and civilians, individuals previously classified as prisoners of war. Ukrainian officials reported the return, noting that the bodies showed evidence of systematic abuse and neglect during their time in Russian custody.

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