10 Ukrainian soldiers return home from Russian captivity in special exchange

• Ten Ukrainian service members returned home from Russian captivity.
• The exchange took place via Belarus on August 24, 2026.
• Some of the returned soldiers had been missing since 2024, others since 2025.
• The service members fought on the Donetsk sector of the front line.
• President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the return on Ukraine's Independence Day.

Ukraine successfully repatriated 10 service members who were previously considered missing in action and held in Russian captivity. The exchange occurred via Belarus on August 24, 2026, coinciding with Ukraine's Independence Day. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the return, stating that the individuals served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and National Guard and fought on the Donetsk front line.

According to Ukraine's Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, two of the returned soldiers had been missing since 2024, while the remaining eight had been missing since 2025. The group included sergeants, soldiers, and sailors. Zelensky emphasized the importance of bringing them home and reiterated the commitment to finding and freeing all those still in captivity.

The status of missing Ukrainian service members can remain unresolved for extended periods due to intense fighting, Russian occupation, and difficulties in recovering bodies for identification. Some individuals listed as missing are later discovered to be alive in captivity.

This exchange follows a larger repatriation of 103 prisoners of war from Russian captivity on August 19, 2026, which included members from various branches of Ukraine's defense forces. Additionally, Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 261 individuals on August 13, 2026, which Russia claimed were Ukrainian service members, with Ukrainian authorities tasked with their identification.