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Amidst the escalating Ukraine-Russia conflict, the issue of captivity has taken a center stage with over 10,000 Russian soldiers captured, as reported by the 'I Want to Live' project. Ukraine has made significant strides, with 2,080 military personnel and 230 civilians returned from captivity in 2025 alone. However, disturbing reports of torture and the increasing number of foreign mercenaries add complexity to this humanitarian crisis. The Coordination Headquarters has emphasized the importance of prisoner exchanges and the urgent need for Russia to adhere to international laws regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.

How many Russian soldiers have been captured in the Ukraine conflict?

As of now, over 10,000 Russian soldiers have been reported captured during the full-scale war against Ukraine. This figure has been compiled by the 'I Want to Live' project, emphasizing a significant increase in prisoners of war due to ongoing hostilities.

What challenges do captives face in the Ukraine-Russia conflict?

The captives in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict face several challenges, including torture, lack of basic human rights, and inadequate exchanges. Reports have detailed harsh conditions and the refusal to engage in fair exchanges based on the "all for all" principle, further complicating the situation.

What initiatives are in place to address prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia?

Efforts to conduct prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia are ongoing, with the Coordination Headquarters reporting a record number of exchanges in 2025. The exchanges have facilitated the return of numerous military personnel and civilians, but challenges persist due to diplomatic tensions.

Are there any foreign nationals involved in the Ukraine-Russia captivity issues?

Yes, there is a notable presence of foreign nationals involved in the Ukraine-Russia captivity issues. There have been reports of foreign mercenaries and recruited soldiers among the captives, highlighting the international dimension of this conflict and the varied backgrounds of those captured.

What are the humanitarian concerns related to captivity in the Ukraine conflict?

The captivity situation in the Ukraine conflict raises significant humanitarian concerns, including reports of torture, inadequate care for prisoners, and the emotional and psychological impact on both military personnel and civilians. These concerns underscore the urgent need for international intervention and adherence to human rights conventions.

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News captivity

'DPR' refuses to exchange prisoners because Ukraine does not grant amnesty to terrorists Ukraine does not want to grant amnesty to the terrorists in the Donbas and to exchange prisoners according to the all-for-all formula, while 'DPR' does not agree for an exchange without amnesty. 17 715 163 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

Five soldiers captured last year in Lohvynove still held by terrorists. LIST A year ago, soldiers of the 40th Mechanized Infantry Battalion and the 128th Mountain Infantry Brigade were captured by terrorists. 9 055 22 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

dpr ‘DPR’ terrorists sentenced Azov soldier Chudnetsov to 30 years in prison Ukrainian prisoner in the Donbas, Azov regiment soldier Yevhen Chudnetsov has been sentenced to 30 years in a penal colony (plus two more years of imprisonment) by the ‘DPR’ terrorists. 41 842 147 Previously in trend: Occupied territories - Crimea and Donbas

130 people stay in captivity, journalist Maria Varfolomeieva among them, - SBU head adviser Tandit To date, 2,998 captives have been released in the the east of Ukraine. 2 641 3 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

Ukraine and "DPR" fail to agree on POWs' release On Wednesday, Jan. 27, at a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine in Minsk, "DPR" representatives came up with a proposal on POWs exchange, which was unacceptable to the Ukrainian side. 8 097 57 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

тандит "Militants laid down unacceptable conditions," - SBU Head Adviser Tandit on failure of prisoners exchange The release of Ukrainian captives is currently discussed at the highest level. 37 942 74 Ukrainian Politics

Militants put forward unacceptable conditions for exchange of prisoners during Minsk talks Today's meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group has finished in Minsk. 47 608 88 Society

"No decisions to exchange Russian GRU operatives ever taken in Minsk," - MP Iryna Herashchenko Representatives in the Trilateral Contact Group to resolve situation in the Donbas has never negotiated about commandos of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) Yerofeyev and Aleksandrov captured in Ukraine. 2 873 12 Previously in trend: Captured Russian special forces operatives

Pro-Russian militants block liberation of 25 Ukrainian prisoners from captivity – Iryna Herashchenko Those soldiers who have survived the hell of the Donetsk airport are still in the terrorists’ captivity. 6 082 32 Ukrainian Politics

2,998 POWs released from terrorists' captivity 2,998 persons were liberated from the terrorists' captivity in the Donbas. 131 persons remain imprisoned by the terrorists. 4 619 40 Ukrainian Politics

Ukrainian prisoners tortured in occupied Donbass, - SBU Head Adviser Tandit Ukrainian prisoners, held captive in the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are not controlled by Kyiv, are subjects to tortures. This was announced by adviser to head of the Security Service of Ukraine Yurii Tandit. 18 871 60 Previously in trend: Occupied territories - Crimea and Donbas

140 people remain in militants’ captivity in Donbas, - MP Iryna Herashchenko Pro-Russian militants are holding 140 hostages in the Donbas, but the exact location of only 50 people is known while the rest must be searched for. 2 087 16 Previously in trend: Occupied territories - Crimea and Donbas

тандит "There were executions. Rakhman had all fingers broken," - Tandit on tortures in terrorist captivity SBU head adviser Yurii Tandit described what the Ukrainian military encounter in terrorist captivity. 57 056 116 Incidents

рахман rakhman Ukrainian Major Hrechanov (Rakhman) exchanged for captured Russian Army Major Starkov Poroshenko signed a Decree of pardon for Russian Major Starkov for the sake of liberation of the Ukrainian serviceman. 90 881 311 Incidents

рахман гречанов hrechanov rakhman "Cyborg" Andrii Hrechanov (Rakhman) released from terrorists’ captivity, - volunteer Mochanov Commander of intelligence detachment of the 81st Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one of the so-called Cyborgs Andrii Hrechanov with call sign Rakhman released from the terrorists’ captivity. 85 695 157 Incidents

Two Ukrainians liberated from terrorist captivity, – Poroshenko Two more Ukrainian soldiers were liberated from the captivity of pro-Russian militants in the Donbas. 12 460 144 Ukrainian Politics

Over 2,900 Ukrainian soldiers released from terrorists’ captivity, 145 hostages still held There are 145 Ukrainians held by the terrorists as of today. 4 313 41 Society

ерофеев "No one saw me shooting. I was passing by," - Russian commando Yerofeyev pleads not guilty. VIDEO Russian commando Yevgeniy Yerofeyev, who was captured during a clash in the Donbas, says no evidence of his guilt is provided under the case. 93 916 501 Previously in trend: Captured Russian special forces operatives

плен captivity One more Ukrainian soldier freed from militants’ captivity, Poroshenko says President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said that the militants released one more Ukrainian soldier from captivity. 18 460 96 Incidents

обмен пленными Ukraine exchanged 11 militants for 8 Ukrainian soldiers and one civilian. PHOTOS "Luhansk People's Republic" militants assure they have no more prisoners. According to the released soldiers, another 20 Ukrainian prisoners are held captive in Donetsk. 44 149 91 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

обмен пленными Nine Ukrainian heroes released from captivity, - Poroshenko. LIST Terrorists have released nine Ukrainian soldiers. 55 234 179 Ukrainian Politics

плен "DPR" voiced its intention to release four Ukrainian soldiers on Thursday The self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" is set to release four Ukrainian POWs on Thursday. 10 071 23 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

Exchange of prisoners in Donbas to be held Oct. 29, - OSCE Pro-Russian terrorists and Ukrainian authorities will carry out exchange of prisoners Oct. 29. 4 236 23 Incidents

геращенко Terrorists publicly blackmail Ukraine on prisoners' release, which is failure to fulfill Minsk agreements, - MP Herashchenko According to the Minsk accords, pro-Russian terrorists in the Donbas should release captive Ukrainian soldiers without setting additional conditions. 32 054 132 Ukrainian Politics

плен captivity Exchange of prisoners might be held in coming days, – Adviser to SBU Chairman The authorized subgroup of the Tripartite Contact Group operating within the Minsk process has information about 148 hostages as of today. They are found not only in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but also in the territory of the Russian Federation. 5 481 58 Incidents

Medvedchuk mediated between ‘LPR’, ‘DPR’, and Ukrainian government Viktor Medvedchuk is a Ukrainian politician, lawyer, business oligarch, the chairman of the pro-Russian political organization Ukrainian Choice, and one of the major opponents of European Integration of Ukraine who stands between Ukraine and pro-Russian terrorists. 8 705 87 Ukrainian Politics

тандит tandit Another defender of Donetsk airport to be released from militants’ captivity in near future, - SBU Andrii Hrechanov with the call sign Rakhman -- one of the Donetsk airport’s defenders also known as Cyborgs -- is expected to be released from the militants’ captivity in the near future. The details of the negotiation process on his liberation are not disclosed. 16 956 64 Incidents

карпюк 'I committed a perjury against my friends and comrades under tortures’ – Ukrainian prisoner in Russia Karpiuk ’Right Sector’ deputy chief for ideological work Mykola Karpiuk, detained by Russians on March 17, 2014, told about his suicide attempt after being tortured by Russian special services. 83 351 250 Previously in trend: Yatseniuk in Chechnya

савченко "When bandage was removed, I realized I was in Russia," - Savchenko's testimony during trial in Donetsk, Russia. VIDEO (in Russian) Ukrainian pilot Nadiia Savchenko told the court how "LPR" militants moved her across the Ukrainian-Russian border. 57 779 103 Ukrainian Politics

савченко "Female Sniper! You fired at us!" - new video of Nadiia Savchenko's capture by "LPR" militants. VIDEO A video has been posted on Open Russia website, showing a small part of the battle in which "LPR" militants captured Nadiia Savchenko. 126 321 199 Ukrainian Politics

Ukrainian volunteer released from militants’ captivity, - Adviser to Deputy Minister of Defense A Ukrainian volunteer who was long held in the Donetsk remand prison has been released. 7 402 35 Incidents

порошенко 2,911 Ukrainians released from captivity due to Minsk agreements, - Poroshenko President Poroshenko claims that 2,911 people have been released from terrorists since Sept., 2014. 8 402 144 Ukrainian Politics

донбасс ато рубан Russia proposes to exchange Sentsov and Kolchenko for detained GRU commandoes Representatives of the Russian Federation proposed to exchange Ukrainian director Oleh Sentsov and activist Oleksandr Kolchenko convicted in Russia for Russian special forces officers Alexander Aleksandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev detained in Ukraine. 61 836 337 Previously in trend: Captured Russian special forces operatives Sentsov-Kolchenko verdict

клых Klykh claims tortures by beating, electric current and psychotropic agents in Russian prison Ukrainian Stanislav Klykh abducted in Russia, says he was tortured and pumped with psychotropic agents in Russian prison in order to make him testify. 62 069 201 Ukrainian Politics

Court extended custody of Russian commando Aleksandrov until Oct. 17 Pechersk district court of Kyiv extended custody of a serviceman of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Aleksandr Aleksandrov until Oct. 17. 2 973 25 Previously in trend: Captured Russian special forces operatives

Ukrainian servicemen Serhii Furaiev and Artem Komisarchuk freed from captivity, - Poroshenko Today, Sept. 8, two soldiers taken prisoners near Ilovaisk in 2014 were freed from captivity. 9 786 93 Ukrainian Politics

Military prosecutor does not believe in possibility of exchange of Ukrainian citizens for Russian commandoes: "Russian Federation is insincere" The statement of the Russian side about possibility of exchange of the illegally held and convicted citizens of Ukraine Nadiya Savchenko, Oleh Sentsov, and Oleksandr Kolchenko for captured operatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) Alexander Aleksandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev "is not sincere." 6 454 61 Incidents

Nadiya Savchenko first planned to be tried and then exchanged, - lawyer commented on Russia’s Justice Ministry statement One of Nadiya Savchenko’s lawyers Nikolai Polozov commented on the statement of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on possibility of the exchange of the Ukrainian pilot for the captured Russian military. Nadiya Savchenko’s defense believes it would not be very easy to exchange her for the Russians. 18 266 34 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

рахман Kremlin wants to exchange captive Rakhman for Russian major Starkov, - social activist Mochanov Captive Ukrainian officer is alive, but terrorists are rigid with his exchange terms. 115 734 368 Incidents

плен обмен освобождение военослужащие Poroshenko: 12 Ukrainian servicemen liberated from terrorists’ captivity 12 Ukrainian military have been freed from terrorists’ captivity. 47 582 114 Incidents

Ukrainian political prisoners Karpliuk and Klykh's case taken to court Russia's Investigative Committee has sent a criminal case against two Ukrainians Mykola Karpiuk and Stanislav Klykh with approved indictment to court for its further hearing on the merits. 7 077 34 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

военные российские александров ерофеев спецназовцы Pre-trial investigation of Russian commandoes Yerofeyev and Aleksandrov case completed, Ukraine’s chief military prosecutor says Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have completed the pre-trial investigation of the case of Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) operatives Alexander Aleksandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev, detained near the town of Shchastia in Ukraine’s Luhansk region. 26 017 137 Previously in trend: Captured Russian special forces operatives

Names of six more Russian soldiers, taken as prisoners in Donbas, established. LIST Names of six more Russian servicemen, who were taken as prisoners by Ukrainian Army in the Donbas, have been established. 92 622 240 Previously in trend: Russian aggression against Ukraine

савченко savchenko "This circus can show clowns, not justice," - Savchenko commented on upcoming trial Ukrainian pilot, the Verkhovna Rada Deputy Nadiya Savchenko stated she would return to Ukraine at any cost. She has a dim view of the upcoming trial in the Russian Federation expecting no justice from it. The pilot has not made a will, as she planned. 19 930 250 Incidents

плен captivity Volunteer from Sumy region released from terrorists’ captivity, - Advisor to Deputy Defense Minister. PHOTOS The volunteer from Sumy region, who spent many months in the terrorists’ captivity, has been liberated. 15 608 61 Incidents

плен обмен рубан Negotiators agreed with militants upon resumption of exchange of prisoners The representatives of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" are willing to resume the exchange of prisoners confirming that "parade" of prisoners will not be held in Donetsk. 17 665 143 Previously in trend: Occupied territories - Crimea and Donbas

Four volunteers released from terrorists, 167 Ukrainians still captive, - MP Iryna Herashchenko 167 Ukrainians are still held captive by the "DPR" and "LPR" terrorists. 2 760 23 Society

“We were repeatedly proposed to exchange Russian GRU operatives for Savchenko,” - Advisor to the SBU Chairman Advisor to the Chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine Yurii Tandit said that he was repeatedly contacted with the proposal to exchange Nadiya Savchenko for the two detained operatives of the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). 51 803 212 Previously in trend: Captured Russian special forces operatives