Ukraine returned a group of severely wounded and seriously ill military personnel from Russian captivity as part of an ongoing major prisoner exchange program negotiated during Istanbul talks on 2 June.

Among the freed prisoners are defenders of Mariupol who spent more than three years in Russian captivity. All released individuals are male enlisted personnel and sergeants, with some previously classified as missing in action.

The returned personnel include service members from multiple branches of Ukraine’s armed forces, including the Airborne Assault Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces, and Territorial Defense Forces, as well as personnel from the State Border Guard Service and National Guard, according to the Coordination Headquarters for Treatment of Prisoners of War.

“All need treatment, and they will definitely receive the necessary assistance,” Zelenskyy stated. “We continue working to bring everyone back from Russian captivity.”

The ages of the returned prisoners range from 22 to 59 years old, according to Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. All freed personnel will undergo medical examinations and receive physical and psychological rehabilitation services, along with compensation payments for their time in captivity.

In a previous recent swap on 9 June, Ukraine returned captured defenders under 25 years of age, followed by wounded and ill military personnel the next day.

On 11 June, Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 1,212 fallen service members for forensic identification and return to families.

Ukraine and Russia are preparing to conduct a significant prisoner exchange on 7-8 June, with Russia indicating it can transfer 500 Ukrainian military personnel as part of a larger agreement, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during a press briefing on 4 June.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia committed to exchanging 500 prisoners from a previously agreed total of 1,000, with Ukraine prepared to provide an equivalent number in return, Suspilne reports.

Meanwhile, Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky confirmed to the Kremlin that Russia expects the exchange to follow a “1200 for 1200” format beginning 7 June.

A notable change from previous negotiations involves the advance provision of prisoner lists. Unlike the May talks in Istanbul, both sides have now agreed to share these lists beforehand, though Ukraine has yet to receive them.

“The Russians gave their word that they would give us the lists in advance of who we are exchanging, this is important for us,” Zelenskyy stated.

This comes as reports emerged revealing that Russia manipulated the prisoner exchanges by sending mostly former prisoners convicted of non-war-related crimes who had been indefinitely detained in Russian deportation centers rather than captured Ukrainian soldiers or civilian activists.

The sides also committed to exchanging all severely wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war, plus all military personnel aged 18-25, focusing on prisoner categories rather than numerical equivalents. 

Beyond prisoner exchanges, the sides have established protocols for returning deceased soldiers’ remains. Zelenskyy explained that both Ukrainian and Russian documentation indicates only 15-20% of recovered bodies have been properly identified. The president emphasized the importance of accurate identification procedures, noting that body exchanges will commence after prisoner transfers are completed.

The most recent large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia happened from 23 to 25 May involving about 1,000 prisoners from each side.

Since March 2022, Ukraine has secured the release of 5,757 citizens through prisoner exchanges, with an additional 536 Ukrainians returned through other means.