Ukraine secures return of 193 soldiers in new prisoner exchange with Russia, Zelenskyy says

Ukraine has brought home another 193 service members from Russian captivity in the latest prisoner exchange, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday, pledging that efforts to free all captured Ukrainians will continue.

The President said the returning personnel include members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, National Police and the State Special Transport Service.

He thanked everyone involved in organising the exchange, with particular appreciation for the military personnel who help maintain the “exchange fund” and stressed that Kyiv remains committed to bringing every captive soldier back.

“We remember every person and continue working every day to return our people home from Russian captivity,” the President said.

The head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, Kyrylo Budanov, said many of those released are young soldiers and officers born in the 2000s who had been defending Ukraine across multiple front lines.

“Many young Ukrainian warriors, soldiers and officers who defended our country on all fronts are now free, some of them wounded,” Budanov said, adding that some of the released servicemen had been held unlawfully in Chechnya.

Budanov also congratulated two of the freed soldiers on their birthdays.

The latest exchange follows another swap on 11 April, ahead of Easter, when 175 Ukrainian servicemen and seven civilians were returned to Ukraine.