Ukraine announced the return of 205 defenders from Russian captivity on May 6, 2025—the national Day of the Infantry—after a negotiation effort directed by the President and executed by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. koordshtab.gov.ua The newly freed group spans the Armed Forces—Navy, Air Force, Air Assault, and Territorial Defense—as well as the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service; in all, three officers and 202 soldiers and sergeants are coming home. koordshtab.gov.ua Many of them fought on some of the war’s most contested axes and regions, including the Donetsk and Luhansk fronts, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv oblasts, Kherson, Sumy, and Kyiv, and among the defenders of the Mariupol garrison. koordshtab.gov.ua The operation marks the fifth prisoner exchange of 2025 and the 64th since the full-scale invasion began; since March 2022, these processes have brought 4,757 Ukrainian citizens home. koordshtab.gov.ua Kyiv publicly thanked the United Arab Emirates for facilitating the exchange, underscoring the role of third-party states in enabling humanitarian repatriations even in a hostile diplomatic climate. koordshtab.gov.ua Upon return, all liberated personnel are slated to receive immediate medical care, essentials such as clothing and hygiene items, back pay for the period in captivity, a one-time material payment, and access to rehabilitation and reintegration services after prolonged isolation. koordshtab.gov.ua The Coordination Headquarters emphasized that it continues to work to locate and rescue every Ukrainian held by Russia or its proxies. koordshtab.gov.ua
This exchange highlights both the persistent scale of captivity and the steady cadence of repatriations in 2025. The diversity of services represented shows how broadly the war’s burden is shared across Ukraine’s force—from sailors and airmen to territorial defense fighters and border guards. The references to Mariupol evoke earlier, searing chapters of the conflict, while the geographic spread points to the enduring intensity in the east and south. The structured support package—medical, material, financial, and psychological—signals an institutional commitment to help former captives stabilize, heal, and, when appropriate, reintegrate into their units or civilian life. In acknowledging the UAE’s role, the announcement also illustrates how trusted intermediaries can keep humanitarian channels open even when conventional diplomacy falters. While names and personal details remain limited for security reasons, the message is clear: Ukraine’s authorities are continuing systematic, negotiated efforts to account for the missing and bring its people home.