Ukraine returns 10 servicemen its own records had marked missing in action
The state agency that negotiates prisoner swaps with Moscow said none of the men had a confirmed captivity status, and some had been unaccounted for close to two years.
On 24 August, Ukraine brought back 10 servicemen from captivity, marking their Independence Day. All of the men had been recorded as missing in action by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The servicemen crossed back through Belarus as part of an ongoing prisoner exchange. Ukraine's prisoner-of-war agency later identified the men.
As Russia continues its full-scale war in Ukraine, prisoner swaps remain a crucial mechanism for the two countries, as all other negotiating efforts on territory and ceasefires have stalled. Zelenskyy announced that the men, serving in the Armed Forces and National Guard, defended the country in the Donetsk sector in the east. He described it as a special stage of the exchange.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed the details of the release. The freed servicemen held various ranks, including sergeant, soldier, and sailor. All 10 men were initially listed as missing rather than captured. Two had been missing since 2024, while the other eight had been missing since 2025.
The exchange was coordinated through talks by the prisoner-of-war agency's own working group. It was the second stage of the current exchange, following a first stage on 19 August that brought back 103 servicemen. As of May 2026, about 7,000 Ukrainian service members remained in Russian captivity, with an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 civilian detainees.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
