Zelensky: ‘A Good Day’ as 150 Soldiers Freed From Russian Captivity

Ukraine has secured the return of 150 soldiers from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Telegram on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

“Today is a good day for all of us. We are bringing home 150 of our defenders from Russian captivity – soldiers, sergeants, and officers,” he wrote.

According to Zelensky, those released include servicemen from various branches of the military, including the Naval Forces, Air Force, Airborne and Ground Forces, National Guard, Border Guard, and Territorial Defense, as well as a police officer. Many of them had been captured in Mariupol and the Zaporizhzhia region.

“They come from different parts of the front, but they are united by one thing: they fought for Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

The president said that some of the soldiers had endured more than two years in captivity.

“For them and their families, today is a day that outweighs years of waiting,” he added.

Zelensky also expressed gratitude to Ukraine’s partners for their assistance in facilitating the exchange, highlighting the role of the United Arab Emirates. He reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to securing the release of all remaining captives: “We are working to bring everyone home.”

Ukraine and Russia conducted their first prisoner exchange of the year on Jan. 15, with Ukraine repatriating 25 Ukrainian men and women from captivity and reportedly returning an equal number to Russia.

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According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the returned military personnel consisted of soldiers, sailors, and sergeants who had defended the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions, as well as the city of Mariupol, including Azovstal. The headquarters also reported that wounded Ukrainian servicemen had been brought back from the Kursk region.

Officials reported that the returnees had endured severe conditions without proper medical care and faced inhumane treatment while in captivity. Many of the wounded had suffered from loss of sight, amputations, gunshot wounds, mine-blast injuries, tuberculosis, cancer, and gangrene – conditions that, according to the Coordination HQ, highlighted the harsh realities of enemy detention.

Among those released was also a civilian who had been captured in the Kyiv region and, as Ukrainian officials stated, illegally detained by Russian forces.