From captivity to freedom: Inside the latest prisoner exchange (video)

Today, servicemen from the Naval Forces, Ground Forces, and Air Assault Forces, as well as the Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard of Ukraine, and the State Border Guard Service, returned from Russian captivity.

Most of the released defenders had been held captive for over three years. In the video from the Coordination Headquarters, besides the usual hugs and calls to their families, you can see the fighters burning their prison uniforms. As with the previous exchange, the exact number of Ukrainians freed during the seventh stage remains unknown.

Read more in the Fresh prisoner swap brings Ukrainian fighters back home material.

RBC-Ukraine journalists met the warriors together with relatives of prisoners and missing persons. Many of them came with posters and photos of the fighters, hoping to get any information.

One of the women received the joyful news that her husband was included in the exchange just before the release of the prisoners.

Shortly afterward, the participants of the seventh stage of the exchange arrived. As reported, some of them were severely wounded and ill, so they were transported by ambulances.

"I am so happy. It’s such a joy, I don’t know how to express my emotions... I didn’t say anything (to my husband - ed.), I just cried. There is so much I want to say, I don’t know where to start. I just cried tears of joy," shared one of the heroines of the RBC-Ukraine report.

Defense Intelligence representative Andrii Yusov stated that today’s exchange is just another stage and implied that prisoner exchanges will continue.

"Today marked the seventh stage according to the agreements in Istanbul. Both severely ill and severely wounded, as well as young defenders, have returned home. Most of them have been held captive since 2022; there are officers, enlisted personnel, and sergeants among them. The work continues, meaning this is not the end. This is just another stage; more will follow," he added.

Prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia

During the first round of negotiations in Istanbul on May 16, Ukraine and Russia agreed on a large-scale prisoner exchange in a 1,000 for 1,000 format.

This agreement was implemented over three stages from May 23 to 25 and became one of the largest exchanges by number since the start of the full-scale war.

However, on June 2, during the second round of talks in Türkiye, the parties reached a new agreement format. It was agreed to exchange all severely wounded and seriously ill military personnel, as well as all prisoners aged 18 to 25.

Under these new agreements, six exchanges have already taken place since early June — on the 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 19th, and 20th.

Among those released during the previous exchange were servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including representatives of the Ground Forces, Territorial Defense, Air Assault Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces, the State Border Guard Service, and the National Guard. Many of them endured torture, were in critical condition, and received minimal medical care while in captivity.

Also, during the exchange, defenders of Mariupol who had been held in enemy captivity since spring 2022 were returned home.

A separate agreement was also reached between Ukraine and Russia regarding the exchange of the bodies of fallen soldiers. In Istanbul, the parties agreed on a 6,000 for 6,000 format. The final stage of repatriations under this agreement took place on June 16, during which Russia handed over 6,057 bodies to Ukraine.

However, it turned out that among the bodies transferred to Ukraine were remains of Russian servicemen. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that 20 of the transferred bodies belonged to Russian citizens.

In connection with this, Ukraine has already returned the bodies of three Russian soldiers to Russia, as informed by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.