The agreement on a new prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia in 2025 marked an important step in the process of returning citizens and military personnel who were in captivity. As part of this exchange, 25 Ukrainian defenders returned home in exchange for 25 Russian prisoners. Among the freed Ukrainians are soldiers and sailors who participated in the defense of regions such as Mariupol, Azovstal, Kharkiv, Donbass, Zaporizhia, and Kherson, as well as a civilian captured in the Kyiv region and illegally detained by the Russians. Among them are military personnel severely injured and suffering from various diseases, including amputations, loss of vision, and more serious illnesses such as tuberculosis and cancer.
All the returned prisoners were in extremely difficult conditions, which necessitated their urgent repatriation in accordance with the Geneva Convention. This exchange was made possible with the support of the United Arab Emirates, for which Ukraine expressed its gratitude.
It is also worth noting that the previous prisoner exchange took place on New Year's Eve when 189 Ukrainians were returned. The return of military personnel and civilians to Ukraine remains one of the priority areas for the Ukrainian authorities, who will not stop until all prisoners are fully returned.