Ukraine and Russia exchange prisoners, bringing 270 Ukrainians home

Why it matters

The exchange brought home servicemembers who had endured years of captivity, including defenders of Mariupol held for more than four years. It also included 86 servicemembers whom Russia had convicted, two defenders held for eight and six years, and five people previously believed killed in the Olenivka attack. The return of the three National Guard members captured at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant ended the captivity of that group. More than 500 Azov fighters nevertheless remain in Russian captivity.

What happened

Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners on October 23, resulting in 270 Ukrainians returning home. According to most reports, the group consisted of 261 servicemembers and nine civilians, including civilian Oleh Tryhub. Most of those released were defenders of Mariupol who had participated in its 86-day defense and spent more than four years in Russian captivity.

The returnees included 61 servicemembers of the National Guard’s 3057 unit, among them 35 members of the Azov special-purpose unit. Three National Guard members captured at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on February 24, 2022, also returned: Staff Sergeant Oleksandr Shyrokan from Chernihiv, Lieutenant Colonel Yurii Pindak, and Captain Vladyslav Yakymenko. They were the last servicemembers from the group captured there.

The release also included five servicemembers from Chernihiv region, five survivors of the July 2022 Olenivka terror attack, seriously ill and seriously wounded defenders, and 86 servicemembers who had been convicted by Russia. Two defenders had been held since 2018 and 2020. The Security Service of Ukraine said the exchange resulted from work by the Joint Centre for the Coordination of the Search and Release of Servicemen, the Coordination Staff on Prisoner Treatment, and other authorized bodies acting on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s instructions.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian coverage emphasizes the scale of the return, the lengthy captivity of Mariupol’s defenders, the presence of seriously ill and seriously wounded personnel, and continued efforts to recover more than 500 Azov fighters. Reports also highlight the Security Service of Ukraine and other authorized bodies’ role in carrying out the exchange under the president’s instructions, as well as released prisoners’ first contact with their families and the personal experiences of long-term captives.

Where reporting differs

Most reports describe the 270 returnees as 261 servicemembers and nine civilians. One description instead calls all 270 returning people military prisoners and characterizes the event as the third stage of a large exchange involving 270 servicemembers. There is also a discrepancy in one released servicemember’s surname: one report names Inna Prokopenko’s husband as Maksym Pokopenko, while others identify him as Maksym Prokopenko.

Background

The October 23 exchange followed two earlier stages. On August 19, Ukraine and Russia conducted the first stage, described as the 77th exchange since Russia began its full-scale invasion; 103 Ukrainian servicemembers returned. On August 24, 10 Defence Forces servicemembers previously considered missing in action returned during the second stage. The October 23 operation was conducted by Ukrainian authorized bodies following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s instructions.