Ukraine returns 160 servicemen from Russian captivity: Zelensky
Ukraine and Russia swapped 160 captured soldiers on Friday, Moscow and Kyiv said, the latest prisoner of war exchange in the four-year war. "We continue bringing Ukrainians home from Russian captivity. Today, 160 service members were released," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 03:39 | 26 June 2026
Ukraine has brought home 160 servicemen from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
All of them had been held since 2022, he added in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, exchanges of prisoners and the remains of fallen fighters have been one of the few areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv.
Russia's defence ministry said earlier on social media that "160 Russian servicemen have been returned", with "160 Ukrainian prisoners of war handed over in exchange".
"The returned Russian servicemen are currently in the Republic of Belarus," the Russian ministry said.
It added that the United Arab Emirates had mediated the exchange.