Main points
- The largest number of Ukrainians were released from captivity in 2025. This is done by the Coordination Headquarters, which has released over 8,000 people in 4 years.
- The return of every defender is a great victory, and work is underway to ensure that all Ukrainians return home.
The Coordination Headquarters summed up the results of the work / Collage of Channel 24
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has been operating in Ukraine for 4 years. During this time, more than 8,000 Ukrainians, including military personnel and civilians, have been released from Russian captivity.
This was announced at the event “Together for Return”, reports Channel 24. As noted by Petro Yatsenko, a representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the relevant structure was established on March 11, 2022, and it immediately began active work.
The largest number of Ukrainians returned in 2025
It is clear that during the war it was necessary to work very quickly, so the exchanges began almost immediately. Since the summer of 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has been operating in Kyiv, there is a public reception center. It is worth noting that it includes various institutions, there is the Security Service, the Joint Center, which had experience in returning people from captivity even before 2022.
They also applied the experience of the Main Intelligence Directorate. First, they managed to exchange bodies, then pilots, and in this way they built up contacts and the necessary trust with the opposing side regarding a ceasefire. Gradually, the process took off.
In 2025, the largest number of people were released from captivity. The longer Ukrainians are in captivity, the more time will be needed for rehabilitation. At first it was 2 weeks of examinations and procedures, and now it is at least a month,
– said Petro Yatsenko.
The coordination headquarters is already working according to certain schemes. Moreover, there is extensive experience in quickly organizing exchanges, if an agreement can be reached at the political level. For example, during the previous exchange on March 5-6, 502 people returned home. This is a fairly large number. It inspires us to continue working.
“We understand that there should be more exchanges”
The return of every Ukrainian home is a great result. Over the 4 years of the Coordination Headquarters' activity, there have been over 8,000 such “results”. Along with this, there is a huge array of processed information, establishing data on the whereabouts of our people, international events, communication with families of prisoners of war, missing persons, and civilian hostages.
In addition, there is post-isolation support, rehabilitation programs – all of this works and gives results. In general, great teamwork is underway among all members of the Coordination Headquarters, and it will continue until every Ukrainian returns home.
Every exchange for the team is a big celebration, but there is an understanding that there should be a lot of such events. It is also mixed feelings, because we see in what condition our defenders return, we understand in what conditions they were. Of course, when you see this, you cannot remain indifferent,
– said Andriy Yusov, Deputy Head of the Coordination Headquarters.
It is worth noting that our foreign partners are interested in Ukraine's experience. Although this is sad news, it is our state that has the greatest experience in the issues of exchange, treatment of prisoners of war, protection of their rights. And, unfortunately, in the issues of violations of humanitarian law and war crimes by Russia.
Recent prisoner exchanges: the main points
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During the exchange on March 5, 200 defenders returned home. In addition to soldiers and sergeants, officers were also released. Among those released were defenders of Mariupol and fighters who had been in captivity for 4 years. This is the first stage of the exchange, which was agreed in Geneva.
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The next day, the second stage took place, during which 300 Ukrainians were released. Some soldiers had been in captivity since 2022, some for over a year. The youngest soldier is only 26 years old, and the oldest is 60.
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At the end of March, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there were signals about a possible continuation of the exchanges. This issue was discussed during a meeting with the American side. According to the president, diplomacy is working.