Ukraine Secures Release of Seven Civilians and 160 Soldiers in Major Prisoner Exchange

On 27 June 2026 Ukraine and Russia carried out a large‑scale prisoner exchange. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 160 Ukrainian service members – from the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Special Transport Service and Border Guard – were released after being held since 2022. The exchange, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, also saw Russian prisoners transferred to Belarus for medical treatment.

In the same operation seven Ukrainian civilians, aged 35‑66, were returned home after years of illegal detention by Russian forces in regions including Mariupol, Bucha (Kyiv oblast), Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk. The releases were coordinated by Ukrainian parliamentary human‑rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets and Russian human‑rights commissioner Yana Lantratova. Zelensky thanked the coordination teams, saying, “We continue bringing Ukrainians home from Russian captivity,” and affirmed that Ukraine will keep pursuing the return of all remaining captives, both military and civilian.