POWs

EU to sanction 10 Russians for torturing journalist Victoria Roshchyna and other Ukrainians

The European Union has prepared sanctions against ten Russian nationals involved in the torture of Ukrainian POWs, mistreatment of detainees, and politically motivated persecution of journalists, human rights defenders, and opposition figures, according to a draft EU Council decision obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Nov. 12.

12 November 2025, 06:50 PM

Umerov in Istanbul to restart Ukraine-Russia prisoner swaps

Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov arrived in Istanbul on Nov. 11 to restart stalled prisoner swaps with Russia, he announced in an X post, adding that negotiations will continue in Turkiye and the Middle East.

11 November 2025, 07:35 PM

Kenya asks for Kyiv’s help in repatriating nationals recruited by Russia

Kenyan President William Ruto asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to help secure the return of Kenyan citizens whom Russia has illegally recruited to fight in Ukraine, Ruto said in a Twitter post on Nov. 6.

7 November 2025, 11:55 PM

‘Doctor Evil’: EU sanctions Mordovia prison medic who tortured Ukrainian POWs

The European Union has imposed sanctions on Illia Sorokin, a doctor at Correctional Colony No. 10 in Russia’s Republic of Mordovia, accusing him of torturing Ukrainian prisoners of war and withholding critical medical care, according to Radio Svoboda.

24 October 2025, 04:20 PM

Ukraine outlines two key directions for POW exchanges with Russia

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War is currently operating in two areas — exchanges based on the Istanbul agreements and so-called “numbered exchanges,” according to Bohdan Okhrimenko, head of the headquarters secretariat on Oct. 21.

21 October 2025, 04:51 PM

Indian citizen surrenders to Ukrainian troops after just three days on front - video

Soldiers of the AFU 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade (Steel Lions) captured an Indian citizen fighting for Russia, the military wrote on Oct. 7.

7 October 2025, 02:46 PM

Chornobyl defenders return home in POW swap

Ukraine and Russia concluded another prisoner-of-war exchange on Oct. 2, which saw 185 Ukrainian servicemembers returning home, some of whom were captured as far back as 2022.

3 October 2025, 10:33 PM

Nearly 200 Ukrainians return home after POW swap

In the latest prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, 185 Ukrainian servicemembers and 20 civilians are returning from Russian captivity, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov announced on Oct. 2.

2 October 2025, 08:33 PM

Nearly 90% of freed Ukrainian POWs report torture, OSCE report says

Russia’s systematic use of torture against Ukrainian prisoners-of-war is a violation of international humanitarian law, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said in a report released on Sept. 22.

27 September 2025, 02:13 AM

Zelenskyy: Ukraine working to recover 1,000 POWs from Russia, lists in progress

Ukraine is working with Russia on a potential exchange involving another 1,000 prisoners of war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a press briefing on Sept. 19, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

20 September 2025, 08:42 PM

Azov Corps takes 69 Russian prisoners in Dobropillia battles

Over a month of fighting near Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast, where Russian forces tried to break through in mid-August, fighters from the Azov Corps and adjacent units captured 69 Russian infantrymen, according to a video published on Sept. 9 on the formation's page.

9 September 2025, 03:08 PM

Ukrainian troops free village, destroy Russian platoon near Dobropillia

Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully cleared a village in the Dobropillia sector of Russian troops, the Dnipro Operational-Strategic Troop Grouping reported on Telegram on Sept. 5.

5 September 2025, 03:40 PM

Sybiha on Russia quitting anti-torture pact: ‘Territory of lawlessness’

Russia’s withdrawal from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture shows the country has become a “territory of lawlessness,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Aug. 27.

27 August 2025, 02:16 PM

No quick reunion with family: what really happens to Russian POWs after exchanges — Coordination HQ

Russian prisoners of war returning home after exchanges face interrogations and redeployment to the front lines, not treatment, rehabilitation, or family reunions, according to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The state project I Want to Live, backed by the Defense Ministry and Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence, released the account.

25 August 2025, 02:05 PM

Russian soldier admits to executing five Ukrainian POWs on orders from female commander

A Russian assault soldier has confessed to executing five captured Ukrainian service members in May 2024 in the village of Karlivka, Donetsk Oblast, according to an interview with a journalist from the media project Vot Tak.

22 August 2025, 03:50 PM

Ukrainian marine shares horrors of Russian captivity

Andriy Kuzmin, a Ukrainian marine who joined the military in 2020, was captured by Russian forces near Mariupol during the ongoing war. He spent over three years in Russian detention facilities, where he lost nearly 40 kilograms. Kuzmin shared his story with public broadcaster Suspilne Vinnytsia on Aug. 18.

20 August 2025, 02:35 PM

Ukraine receives bodies of 1,000 fallen soldiers, including five who died in captivity

Ukraine received the bodies of a thousand fallen soldiers, the Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner Affairs reported on Aug. 19.

19 August 2025, 05:19 PM

How latest prisoner exchange happened — photos, videos

Ukraine secured the release of 84 citizens—33 soldiers and 51 civilians—through a prisoner exchange with Russia, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on Aug. 14.

14 August 2025, 06:04 PM

Ukraine brings home 84 captives from Russian detention

Ukraine successfully brought back 84 people from Russian captivity through a new prisoner exchange with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on X on Aug. 14.

14 August 2025, 05:17 PM

Zelenskyy: Deal reached with Russia on return of 1,200 prisoners, work on lists underway

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine and Russia have reached an agreement to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war following negotiations in Istanbul.

3 August 2025, 04:37 PM

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