Today, 11 April 2026, Ukraine has returned 182 citizens from Russian captivity. Among them are 175 military personnel and 7 civilians, most of whom had been in captivity since 2022.
72nd prisoner exchange: key facts
On behalf of the President of Ukraine, the Coordination Headquarters conducted the 72nd exchange of prisoners of war today. As a result of the negotiations, 182 Ukrainians were released - 175 servicemen and 7 civilians.
The exchange took place on the eve of Easter. According to official information, almost all of those released had been held in captivity since 2022.
Return of officers and defenders of Mariupol
A special feature of today's exchange was the release of 25 officers who had previously been categorically refused to return. More than half of the released soldiers were captured during the defence of Mariupol in 2022.
Among those released are also members of the National Guard who were taken prisoner during the occupation of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in the first days of the full-scale invasion.
The importance of the exchange for Ukraine
Prisoner exchange on the eve of Easter has symbolic meaning for Ukrainian societies. The release of citizens who had been in captivity for a long time was an important event for their families.
According to Ukrainian authorities, this is the 72nd prisoner exchange since the start of the full-scale war.
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