Ukraine captured over 10 000 Russian soldiers during full-scale war

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has captured over 10 000 Russian soldiers, with the number growing daily.

This was reported by the "I Want to Live" project of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

In the first half of 2025, more Russian soldiers were captured than in 2022 and 2023 combined. On average, 60 to 90 Russian military personnel surrender every week, and in August 2024, this figure reached 350 people.

Since June 2023, Russian servicemen have surrendered to the Russian military more often than Ukrainians. The largest number of Russians were captured in the Pokrovsk and Bakhmut districts of the Donetsk region, in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, and in the Polohivsky district of the Zaporizhzhia region.

In 2025, the number of foreigners among prisoners of war increased sharply — every week 2-3 people turn out to be mercenaries from third countries. In total, almost 7% of all Russian prisoners of war are citizens of about 40 countries.

Most of the prisoners are ordinary soldiers. According to statistics, 83% are privates, 13% are sergeants, and almost 3% are officers. The age of the prisoners is from 18 to 65 years. Approximately 76% are contract soldiers, including those recruited in prisons and private military companies, 19% are mobilized, and almost 5% are conscripts.

24% of prisoners reported being forced or deceived into joining the war. Another 40% have criminal records, most often for theft, drugs, robbery, assault, and violent crimes. Only 7% have a higher education, while almost 30% have not even finished school.

Before the war, 38% were unemployed. Almost half of the prisoners have children. Some of the soldiers were captured with serious chronic diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes, and mental disorders.

As part of the exchanges, just over 6 000 prisoners of war were returned to Russia, more than half of them in 2025. At the same time, it is known about at least 237 former prisoners who, after the exchange, found themselves back at the front and died or went missing.

The Coordination Center writes that Russia primarily takes back from captivity ethnic Russians without serious injuries and with a short period of captivity. Moscow usually does not ask about foreign mercenaries during the exchange.

• Thousands of Russian prisoners of war, including the wounded, sick, and conscripts, still remain in Ukraine. Russia has been refusing to exchange all for all for the fourth year in a row.

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