From captivity to home: Fresh details of new Ukraine-Russia prisoner swap
A new prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia occurred (photo: t.me/Koord_shtab)
Ukraine has returned another group of defenders from Russian captivity as part of the prisoner exchange held ahead of Easter on April 11.
Who was freed and returned home today
According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 182 Ukrainians — 175 military personnel and 7 civilians — were returned during today's exchange. Nearly all of them had been held in captivity since 2022.
More than half of those freed today were captured during the defense of Mariupol. National Guard members captured in the early days of the occupation at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant also returned home.
"163 of them have been in Russian captivity since 2022. This is a real success. It is extremely difficult to imagine what they went through," Defense Intelligence representative Andrii Yusov said.
Service members from the Navy, Land Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Air Assault Forces, Military Law Enforcement Service, Air Force, Unmanned Systems Forces, as well as the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service returned home.
"Guys are returning in different conditions. More than 60 of them are wounded. They have complications from illnesses, injuries, and inadequate medical care," Yusov added.
Among those released are 25 military officers whom the Russian side had previously categorically refused to exchange.
The youngest released man is 22 years old, while the oldest is 63.
Emotional footage shows the return of #Ukrainian defenders from #Russian captivity pic.twitter.com/0Oa29Szv5i
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) April 11, 2026
More swaps expected
According to Andrii Yusov, Ukraine had planned to return more people in this swap, but Russia refused. However, the Defense Intelligence (HUR) hopes that prisoner swaps will continue.
"Unfortunately, the enemy rejected these humanitarian initiatives proposed by Ukraine, to which we were ready, and many other things. But the work continues. We can cautiously say that the operation will continue and that today may have been only the beginning of Easter swap," he said.
Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reveals more details on the April 11 prisoner swap pic.twitter.com/b6aog02uoC
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) April 11, 2026
Ukraine-Russia prisoner swaps
The previous swap between Ukraine and Russia was on March 5–6. At that time, the sides agreed to return prisoners under a "500 for 500" formula.
The process took place in two stages: first, 200 people were released, followed by the return of another 300 Ukrainian defenders home.
Those who returned included service members from various units, including the Land Forces, Air Assault Forces, Naval Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Air Force, and Unmanned Systems Forces. Fighters of the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service were also released.
Among those freed were not only soldiers and sergeants but also officers.
Overall, Ukraine returned its people who fought in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson directions, as well as those who took part in the defense of Mariupol.
