182 Ukrainians Return Home in Easter Prisoner Swap With Russia

President Zelensky announced the recovery of 175 servicemen and seven civilians from captivity, including defenders of Mariupol and Chornobyl, most of whom had been held since 2022. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Previous prisoner exchange, May 6, 2025. (Photo by Serhii Nuzhnenko/RadioSvoboda.org) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Ukraine has successfully secured the release of 182 people from Russian captivity, including 175 military personnel and seven civilians, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday, April 11. The returning group includes soldiers of the Armed Forces, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service, ranging from enlisted ranks to officers. Among those freed are defenders who fought on various fronts, including Mariupol, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP), and the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kyiv, and Kursk regions. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . “Most of them had been in captivity since 2022,” Zelensky stated in a social media post. “Finally, they are home. It is a matter of principle for us to return everyone from Russian captivity.” The President expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian units on the front lines for replenishing the “exchange pool,” which facilitates such swaps. He also thanked international partners for their mediation efforts in what remains one of the few functional areas of cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow during the full-scale invasion. This latest release follows a series of successful exchanges in early 2026. In March, a major two-stage swap mediated by the United States saw 500 Ukrainians return home. Earlier, in February, another 157 personnel were recovered . The major logistical operation to receive the returnees includes immediate medical attention, as many of those released are reported to be wounded. Following their arrival, the soldiers and civilians will undergo comprehensive rehabilitation. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Pledges ‘Mirror Response’ to Russian Easter Ceasefire Ukraine will adhere to the holiday truce but will respond in kind to any violations, President Zelensky announced following a series of deadly Russian drone strikes on the morning of the ceasefire. The exchange comes as a “holiday gift” for many families during the Orthodox Easter period, r eflecting Zelensky’s earlier hope that the holiday would serve as a time for “silence and security.” While the frontline remains volatile, the continued success of prisoner swaps offers a rare diplomatic breakthrough amid the broader regional instability. Prisoner swaps have been one of the few areas of continued cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.