200 Ukrainian soldiers return home in prisoner exchange

200 Ukrainian soldiers return home in prisoner exchange with Russia.

This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Among those returning are the defenders of Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Soldiers of the Armed Forces, the State Special Transport Service, border guards, and National Guardsmen.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that mostly soldiers and non-commissioned officers are returning home. Among those released are the defenders of “Azovstal” and Mariupol. As well as those who defended Ukraine in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia directions.

The oldest released person is 59 years old, the youngest is 27 years old. 18 of the returned defenders celebrated or will celebrate their birthday in March.

Among those released are those defenders who were captured in 2022. Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov says that this is the first stage of the exchange that Ukraine agreed on during negotiations with Russia and the US in Geneva.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War also stated that the next stage of the release of Ukrainian military personnel will be carried out in the near future.

• This is the second exchange in 2026, the previous one took place on February 1. Then 157 Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity. In total, 6 622 of our citizens have been returned since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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