Overview
- Russia and Ukraine traded 320 people — 160 from each side — in a UAE-mediated exchange reported on June 26, 2026, with Kyiv saying its released servicemembers had been held since 2022.
- The UAE said the program’s cumulative returns under its rounds now total 7,791 people, reflecting repeated phased mediation that has continued since the start of large-scale fighting.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported more than 9,500 people have been brought home since the full-scale war began and that 1,596 returned so far this year, underscoring sustained repatriation efforts.
- Ukraine’s ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced seven civilians were secured through direct talks with Russia’s human-rights commissioner and said 457 civilians have been repatriated to date as Kyiv seeks a formal civilian-return mechanism.
- Returned personnel are receiving medical treatment and reintegration support with Russian returnees reported in Belarus for medical processing, and officials say future releases depend on continued frontline operations and phased negotiation frameworks.