Overview
- The exchange, which took place on June 26, 2026, saw 160 detainees released by each side in a negotiated prisoner swap.
- Many of the Ukrainian soldiers freed were captured at the start of Russia’s 2022 invasion and have spent years in detention.
- Released troops were flown to Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, where they were seen smiling and undergoing health checks before meeting family.
- Families celebrated the returns with visible relief, including a case in which a freed soldier phoned his father to say, “I’m alive.”
- Japanese regional papers republished reporting and images from Kyodo News, and the swap highlights the ongoing role of negotiated exchanges for humanitarian and political reasons with possible effects on morale and future talks.