Ukraine and Russia have completed another significant prisoner exchange on Tuesday, May 6, with 205 Ukrainian defenders released from Russian captivity.
“Ours are free. Ours are at home,” President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Telegram following the return of 205 Ukrainian POWs.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“Today, Ukraine returned 205 soldiers. Young boys and adult men from almost all types and branches of the Armed Forces. Defenders of Mariupol and defenders of the entire front line,” he wrote.
Zelensky said the Ukrainian soldiers had been held in various Russian regions and subjected to a prison system “with a single task: to humiliate and destroy humanity.”
“We returned them. And I thank everyone who worked on this exchange. Thank you to our partners, especially the United Arab Emirates, for mediation and assistance. Thank you to those who care and continue to speak out about Ukrainians in captivity,” the president added.
The Kyiv Post team was on the scene, meeting with the released Ukrainian defenders.
Families stood for hours – some holding sun-worn posters, others clinging to framed photographs –not only hoping to welcome someone back, but also to learn something about those still missing.
Kyiv Post’s correspondent spoke with several families who have been searching for answers for years.
One woman shared that she has spent the past four years looking for her brother, who disappeared during the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Red Cross Warehouse in Kyiv Destroyed, 320,000 Relief Items Gone
“Every exchange, I come here,” she said quietly. “I bring his photo, I ask everyone returning if they saw him. I just want to know if he’s alive.”
Another woman held out photographs of three men – her husband, her brother, and her brother-in-law – all of whom remain missing. “My home is full of silence,” she said. “But we are strong.”
While tears of relief marked many reunions, a quieter grief lingered among those still searching. When the buses finally arrived, a wave of joy moved through the crowd. Many of the released prisoners smiled as they stepped off, overwhelmed to be back on Ukrainian soil.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment so many times, but now that it’s real, it doesn’t feel real,” said a man from Odesa, who had spent 19 months in Russian captivity. He said his first priority was to hug his wife and children – and then visit the sea.
On the eve of Easter, April 19, Ukraine and Russia carried out a significant prisoner exchange, resulting in the release of 277 Ukrainian defenders from Russian captivity.
President Volodymyr Zelensky shared the news on Telegram: “Ours are at home – one of the best pieces of news there can be. Another 277 soldiers have returned from Russian captivity.”
Many of the released servicemen had fought in Mariupol and defended regions like Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk. Among those freed was the oldest guard, who was about to turn 61, and the youngest, just 20 years old.
As of April 19, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, 4,552 individuals – both military personnel and civilians – have been freed from captivity.
In return, Russia’s defense ministry reported that 246 Russian soldiers had been freed in the swap. The exchange also included 31 wounded Ukrainian prisoners, who were traded for 15 Russian prisoners in need of urgent medical care.
A Kyiv Post correspondent was on site during the transfer to a medical facility in one of the border towns, capturing emotional reunions between the released prisoners and their families, as well as their first phone calls after their long ordeal.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
Russian Hardliners Urge Putin to Quit US Talks
Ukraine Brings Home 160 POWs, Nearly All Held Since 2022
