Despite the declared Easter ceasefire, which was supposed to take effect at 16:00 on April 11, the actual situation on the front demonstrated the opposite: the intensity of hostilities not only did not decrease but was accompanied by widespread violations and incidents indicating serious breaches of international humanitarian law.
Read more
On the eve of Easter, Ukraine and Russia conducted another prisoner-of-war exchange — an event that carries not only political or military significance, but above all a profound humanitarian dimension. As part of the exchange, Ukraine secured the return of 175 servicemen and 7 civilians, while handing over 175 Russian prisoners. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Read more
On 5–6 March 2026, 500 Ukrainian defenders were returned from Russian captivity as a result of extensive efforts and mediation by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. In particular, on 6 March, 300 soldiers and two civilians were released. Among them were members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service who had defended key directions from Mariupol to the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. The youngest of those released was 26 years old, while the oldest was 60.
Read more
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.
Read more
On October 2, 2025, another prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place. A total of 205 Ukrainians returned home — 185 military personnel and 20 civilians. This marks the 69th exchange since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Among those released are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service. Of the 185 military personnel, 183 are privates and sergeants, and two are officers. Most had been in captivity since 2022. They defended the country in various directions: Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv.
Read more
Today, Ukraine has become the most heavily mined country in the world since World War II. According to estimates, over 139,000 square kilometers — roughly 23% of the country’s total area — may be contaminated with landmines and other explosive hazards. What’s most terrifying is that these threats are often invisible. They lie silently underfoot — on roads, in fields, in backyards. In Ukraine, various types of mines are used — from old Soviet "butterfly" mines, which can be mistaken for toys, to modern anti-tank mines that detonate at the slightest touch or movement.
Read more
On September 3, 2025, a Russian court sentenced four Ukrainian prisoners of war — Lieutenant Colonel Andriy Antonenko, Captain Andriy Kulysh, Second Lieutenant Denys Tkachenko, and Sergeant Oleksii Mazurenko. All were found guilty of so-called “terrorism” for actions carried out on Russian territory in 2023. According to prosecutors, they participated in a sabotage mission targeting critical infrastructure — railways, a fuel depot, and power lines — and operated drones near a strategic airbase in Kaluga region. However, the facts of the case, the defendants' own testimonies, and international humanitarian law all point clearly to one thing: this was not terrorism, but a lawful military operation during an armed conflict. What took place was not a trial in the legal sense — it was a violation of the Geneva Conventions and an attempt to criminalize resistance to aggression.
Read more
On August 22, 2025, Russian media, including the Telegram channel of the state agency TASS, published information claiming that around 6,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war are being held on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Read more
On August 14, Ukraine carried out its 67th prisoner exchange, during which 84 people returned home — 33 military personnel and 51 civilians. The operation was conducted within the framework of the Istanbul agreements and with the active involvement of the United Arab Emirates, once again confirming that every return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity is not just a diplomatic act, but a complex multi-level special operation.
Read more
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don has handed down another harsh sentence to a Ukrainian prisoner of war — 20-year-old Azov Regiment fighter Vladyslav Shpak was sentenced to 21 years in a maximum-security penal colony. Russian investigators accused him of participating in a “terrorist organization ” and undergoing “training for terrorist activities.”
Read more
On July 23, the ninth stage of the prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place, following agreements reached in Istanbul. As part of this exchange, Ukrainian defenders — including seriously ill and severely wounded soldiers — returned home.
Read more
On Friday, July 4, another prisoner exchange took place between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian military personnel and civilians — many of whom had been held in Russian captivity since 2022 — returned home. The news was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Read more
On June 26, Ukraine carried out another prisoner exchange with Russia. Ukrainian defenders returned home, including young soldiers under the age of 25, as well as servicemen who were wounded or have serious health issues. The youngest of those released is 24 years old. He was captured in April 2022 during the defense of Mariupol, when he was only 21.
Read more
On Saturday, June 14, the fourth prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place within one week. This stage was a continuation of the agreements reached during the negotiations in Istanbul.
This time, it was possible to return defenders who had been held in Russian captivity since 2022. Among those released were servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service. Some of them have serious injuries, amputations, lost their sight, suffer from hepatitis or tuberculosis, and some cannot move independently. Most were hospitalized immediately after returning.
On Saturday, June 14, the fourth prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place within one week. This stage was a continuation of the agreements reached during the negotiations in Istanbul.
This time, it was possible to return defenders who had been held in Russian captivity since 2022. Among those released were servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service. Some of them have serious injuries, amputations, lost their sight, suffer from hepatitis or tuberculosis, and some cannot move independently. Most were hospitalized immediately after returning.
Russia and Ukraine have completed the largest prisoner exchange since the start of the full-scale war. Under an agreement reached in Istanbul, both sides released 1,000 individuals over the course of three days. The exchange was carried out in stages.
Read more
On May 21, the American television channel CNN published audio and video materials provided by Ukrainian intelligence, which, according to Ukrainian officials, serve as additional evidence that the Russian military command is issuing orders to execute Ukrainian servicemen who have surrendered. In particular, the recording captures an unidentified Russian officer ordering his subordinates, with call signs “Arta” and “Bely,” to take only the Ukrainian group commander prisoner and to shoot the others. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the interception took place in November 2024 near the village of Novodarivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The drone footage accompanying the audio shows at least two Ukrainian soldiers being executed at point-blank range, while another — presumably the commander — is taken away. Forensic analysis found no signs of editing. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported that the crime was committed by an assault unit of the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 127th Division of Russia’s 5th Army.
Read more
On Tuesday, May 6, the 64th prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place. According to preliminary reports, the swap followed a 205-for-205 format, making it one of the largest exchanges since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Read more
Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who went missing in August 2023 in a temporarily occupied territory, was found dead and her body was returned to Ukraine as part of a body exchange at the end of February 2025. According to the results of a forensic examination in Ukraine, the body showed severe mutilations: the eyeballs, part of the trachea, and the brain were missing.
Read more
The sentencing of Ukrainian soldiers from the "Azov" regiment by Russian courts has drawn significant attention from the international community due to serious violations of international law and human rights. The prisoners, captured during the siege of Mariupol in 2022, were sentenced to long prison terms—ranging from 13 to 23 years—for alleged membership in a "terrorist organization." These accusations are based on Russia's designation of the "Azov" regiment as a terrorist organization, despite its status as a legitimate military unit in Ukraine.
Read more
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has revealed disturbing evidence of widespread violations of international law by Russian forces during their invasion of Ukraine. The Commission’s report highlights systematic war crimes, including the killing of surrendering soldiers, torture, and enforced disappearances, which amount to crimes against humanity.
Read more
On March 19, the Coordination Headquarters reported the return home of 197 Ukrainian defenders, of whom 175 were released through exchange, and 22 - thanks to special measures outside the exchanges. Among the released were 149 military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 4 from the Territorial Defense, 11 representatives of the Navy, 8 National Guardsmen (including three from "Azov") and three border guards. Most of them defended Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk and other regions.
Read more
A UN human rights monitoring mission has expressed concern about a sharp increase in executions of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian forces. Since the beginning of August 2024, 79 executions have been recorded in 24 incidents.
Read more
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.
Read more
On January 14, the 2nd Western District Military Court in Moscow sentenced seven Ukrainian servicemen to 15 to 16 years in prison. They are accused of committing actions related to military operations in the Kursk region, the Russian Investigative Committee reports.
Read more
According to the data from the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, on December 30, 2024, the 11th prisoner swap took place, as a result of which 189 Ukrainians were returned from captivity. This is one of the largest exchanges conducted since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
According to the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine, as of November 22, law enforcement officers have investigated 53 criminal cases related to the execution of 177 Ukrainian soldiers, and in 2024 alone, 37 cases have been registered regarding 109 executed prisoners. Additionally, on November 28, new cases of executions were reported: Russian forces shot four Ukrainian prisoners in Donetsk region. Over the past months, at least five similar crimes have been recorded, highlighting the systematic nature of violations by Russia.
Read more