Ukraine brings home 300 more defenders from Russian captivity
Photo: Ukraine and Russia have completed a two-day prisoner exchange (t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
Another 300 Ukrainian defenders have been released from Russian captivity. On Friday, March 6, the second stage of the exchange took place in accordance with the agreements reached in Geneva, according to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Read also: Number of Russian soldiers in Ukrainian captivity reaches record high
Most of those returned today had been in captivity for over a year, some since 2022, the President of Ukraine says.
Representatives of the Ground Forces, Airborne Forces, Navy, Troop Forces, Air Force, Unmanned Systems Forces, as well as fighters of the National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Service, and State Special Transport Service are returning home.
Among those freed today, in addition to soldiers and sergeants, there are officers.
The youngest freed captive is 26 years old, the oldest is 60.
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Source: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
In general, Ukrainians who fought in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, as well as those who participated in the defense of Mariupol, are returning to their homeland.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, in turn, specified that, in addition, two civilians were also returned.
Ukraine brings home 300 more defenders from Russian captivity
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) March 6, 2026
: Ombudsman of Ukraine pic.twitter.com/f2lrnyHdnJ
As noted by Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, the youngest defender was captured in 2022, when he was 22.
"Also, among those returned today are people with the same surname: six different defenders who have three identical surnames," he added.
Thus, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 6,922 Ukrainians have returned home from captivity in Russia.
A two-day large-scale exchange between Ukraine and Russia
On March 5-6, Russia and Ukraine publicly announced an agreement to exchange prisoners of war on a 500 for 500 basis. The exchange was to take place in two stages: during the first stage, 200 soldiers would be released, and during the second stage, 300 would be released.
The first stage of the large-scale exchange under the Geneva agreements took place on Thursday, March 5. At that time, 200 Ukrainian servicemen were released from Russian captivity.
Among them were soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including representatives of the Navy, Army, Territorial Defense Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces, Air Assault Forces, Air Force, as well as the National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and State Special Transport Service.
Among those released were defenders of Mariupol, who had been held captive by Russia for almost four years.
The freed soldiers defended Ukraine in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Among those released were not only soldiers and sergeants, but also officers.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that many of the released soldiers are in a difficult psychological state, and some are critically underweight.
