Ukraine returns 160 servicemen from Russian captivity, Zelenskiy says

Key Takeaways

• This tranche included 160 servicemen, all detained since 2022, underscoring the prolonged duration many Ukrainians endured before release — as confirmed by Zelenskiy’s statement on June 26 (newsukraine.rbc.ua).
• This exchange follows prior operations such as the April 24 swap of 193 defenders, highlighting sustained momentum in repatriation efforts (ukrinform.net).
• The June 26 return comes amid broader European support for continued POW exchanges as a confidence-building measure toward peace, per recent EU statements (consilium.europa.eu).