POWs

Freed POW shares update on Ukrainian soldier missing since February 2023

A Ukrainian family received the first news in 2.5 years about missing soldier Yevhen Sachenok, learning he is alive and well from a prisoner of war freed in a May 6 exchange, journalist Daryna Kolomiyets reported on Facebook.

7 May 2025, 02:18 PM

Chinese POW says his Russian bank account was frozen

Wang Guangjun, a Chinese citizen captured by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield, said he “followed someone else’s ideas” and ended up serving in the Russian military.

26 April 2025, 01:08 AM

277 Ukrainian soldiers return home after Russian captivity — NV photo report

On April 19, a prisoner exchange brought home 277 Ukrainian defenders who had been held in Russian captivity.

19 April 2025, 09:17 PM

Ukraine, Russia set to swap 500 prisoners on April 19

Ukrainian and Russian authorities are planning to exchange about 500 prisoners-of-war on April 19, Sky News reported on April 18.

18 April 2025, 10:26 PM

Russian troops execute four Ukrainian POWs in Zaporizhzhya Oblast, video shows

Russian forces shot four Ukrainian prisoners-of-war in Piatykhatky, Zaporizhzhya Oblast, in March, the Associated Press reported on April 10, citing video footage obtained from sources.

10 April 2025, 09:38 PM

More than 150 Chinese citizens serving in Moscow’s army — Zelenskyy

Ukrainian intelligence services are aware of at least 155 Chinese nationals serving in the Russian military, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on April 9.

9 April 2025, 09:45 PM

Paid 300,000 rubles: Chinese POW explains how and why he ended up in Russia’s army

A Chinese national captured by Ukraine’s Defense Forces said he paid 300,000 rubles — more than $2,000 — to join Russia’s army through an intermediary in China, NV’s sister publication Ukrainska Pravda reported on April 9, citing the Luhansk Operational-Tactical Group.

9 April 2025, 06:00 PM

China responds to capture of its citizens fighting for Russia in Donbas

China’s Foreign Ministry is working with Ukraine to verify reports of two Chinese nationals captured as prisoners of war while fighting for Russia in Donetsk Oblast, Newsweek quoted the department’s representative as saying on April 9.

9 April 2025, 12:55 PM

China remains main sponsor of Russia’s war in Ukraine — State Department

Evidence of Chinese nationals fighting in the Russian military against Ukraine highlights Beijing’s role in propping up Moscow’s war machine, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said on April 8.

9 April 2025, 02:04 AM

Russian troops execute wounded Ukrainian soldier in Donetsk Oblast

Russian soldiers from the 144th Guards Motor Rifle Division executed a wounded Ukrainian service member near Katerynivka, Donetsk Oblast, open-source intelligence project DeepState reported on April 8.

8 April 2025, 11:32 PM

Ukraine creates new support roles in military

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry is introducing a new category of service roles within military units, battalions, and hospitals to help soldiers, their families, and commanders navigate social and medical challenges during wartime. Deputy Defense Minister and Brigadier General of Justice Serhiy Melnyk announced the move in an interview with the ministry’s press center on April 5.

6 April 2025, 01:30 PM

Bodies of 909 fallen soldiers returned to Ukraine

Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 909 fallen soldiers, the POW Coordination Headquarters reported on March 28.

28 March 2025, 04:15 PM

Russia lost 55,000 troops in Kursk operation, General Syrskyi says

Russia has lost about 55,000 troops in Kursk Oblast since Ukraine’s operation began in August 2024, with 940 captured, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on Facebook on March 27, following a visit to Sumy Oblast.

27 March 2025, 02:50 PM

Zelenskyy defends sharing POW images with Trump in tense Oval Office meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meticulously planned his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, including showing photos of Ukrainian POWs to appeal to his humanity—a move that reportedly soured their Feb. 28 encounter, he detailed in a March 24 interview with TIME.

24 March 2025, 05:53 PM

Ukrainian soldier shares shocking weight loss after nearly three years in Russian captivity

Ukrainian defender Ivan Petrovskyi returned from Russian captivity, where he spent 1037 days, on March 19 as part of one of the largest prisoner exchanges to date, he wrote on Instagram and showed his photo on March 23.

24 March 2025, 02:38 PM

Russian prisoners confirm decent treatment in Ukrainian captivity before exchange

Russian prisoners of war, who returned to Russia on March 19 following a prisoner exchange, confirmed they had no complaints about their treatment in Ukrainian captivity. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets shared a video of their statements on March 22.

22 March 2025, 09:01 PM

Broad prisoner exchanges are first step to ending war — Zelenskyy

As Ukraine talks with the United States and other partners about ending the Russo-Ukrainian war, one of the first steps must be a full prisoner exchange, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on March 21.

21 March 2025, 10:23 PM

Ukraine, Russia to exchange 175 POWs each on March 19, Zelenskyy says

Kyiv and Moscow are preparing for a 175-for-175 prisoner swap on March 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a press conference on March 18.

18 March 2025, 11:48 PM

The brutal truth behind Russia’s execution of Ukrainian POWs: motives, patterns, and the road to justice

A group of Ukrainian soldiers, unarmed and defenseless, kneel in the dirt. Their hands are bound. A Russian soldier gives the order. Gunfire erupts. The bodies collapse, lifeless. The video surfaced online on March 13, 2025, offering a horrifying glimpse into the systematic execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian forces. Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, confirmed its authenticity, calling it yet another war crime added to an already staggering list.

15 March 2025, 01:48 PM

Relatives of POWs rally outside US embassy in Kyiv

A No 'Deals' Without Freedom of UA POWs protest took place near the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv with relatives and friends of civilians and military personnel held by Russia or missing on March 6.

6 March 2025, 04:39 PM

POWs

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