On February 5, Ukraine brought home 157 of its citizens — 150 military personnel and seven civilians — as part of the 71st prisoner exchange with Russia. The Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported the exchange. It is the first exchange of 2026 and the first in more than four months, with the previous one having taken place on October 2, 2025.
Those released include members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — the Navy, Ground Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, Air Assault Forces, and Air Force — as well as personnel from the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service. Soldiers, sergeants, and officers who defended the country in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, and Kyiv directions have returned home. Most were captured in 2022, many during the defense of Mariupol. Among those freed is a National Guard serviceman captured during the occupation of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
This exchange carries particular human rights significance. Ukraine succeeded in securing the return of individuals who had been unlawfully convicted in Russia, including a serviceman sentenced by a Russian court to “life imprisonment.” He was only 19 when captured and is now 23. His release is not only the saving of a single life, but also an important signal: even in cases involving the harshest and politically motivated sentences, return remains possible. The oldest released defender is 63.
Human rights advocates have repeatedly stressed that the criminal prosecution of prisoners of war violates international humanitarian law. The return of unlawfully convicted Ukrainians therefore represents a positive sign and a step — even if partial — toward restoring justice.
The pause between exchanges lasted more than four months. Amid a complex geopolitical environment and turbulence in international negotiation formats, the process had effectively stalled. The absence of regular exchanges meant prolonged isolation, uncertainty, and suffering for hundreds of families on both sides of the front line. The resumption of this mechanism is thus an important humanitarian signal, regardless of political context.
The Ukrainian side expressed gratitude to the United States and the United Arab Emirates for assisting in organizing the exchange. Upon return, those released will undergo medical examinations, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, and obtain all state-mandated payments. The state has also pledged support for their reintegration after prolonged isolation.
Each exchange is not merely a diplomatic outcome, but above all an act of restoring dignity. Efforts to locate and return everyone still held in captivity continue. For hundreds of families across Ukraine, this means hope preserved.