Our people are home: 186 Ukrainians released from russian captivity
Today, on June 5, 2026, Ukraine carried out its 75th prisoner exchange. A total of 185 defenders were released from russian captivity, along with one civilian Ukrainian who had been held in captivity since 2022.
Who returned home from russian captivity
The service members who returned home include personnel from the following components of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
- Ground Forces;
- Navy;
- Air Assault Forces;
- Territorial Defence Forces;
- Special Operations Forces;
- Military Law Enforcement Service (Military Police).
The exchange also resulted in the release of personnel from the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
Most of the released defenders had been in captivity since 2022
More than half of the defenders released today were captured in 2022, with some taken prisoner during the defense of Mariupol.
Among those released is a participant in the unique helicopter operation that established an air bridge to Azovstal.
Overall, those returning home fought on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kyiv, and Kursk sectors of the front line.
The youngest among those released is 26, while the oldest is 62. The released defenders include two officers.
Efforts to bring home all captives continue
Ukraine expresses its gratitude to the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates for their assistance in facilitating the exchange and helping bring Ukrainians home.
All those released will undergo medical examinations, receive medical treatment, be provided with essential items for their immediate needs, receive all due payments, and undergo rehabilitation and reintegration into society after prolonged captivity in russia.
The Ministry of Defence thanks all relevant institutions and organizations for their coordinated efforts to secure the release of our citizens.
Efforts to locate, document, and secure the return of every Ukrainian held in russian captivity remain ongoing.
Earlier, on May 15, 2026, 205 Ukrainian defenders were returned from russian captivity. Almost all of them had been held in captivity for nearly four years.