Ukrainians welcome buses of released prisoners of war

Residents in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region warmly welcomed returning prisoners of war after a swap with Russia on April 24, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that 193 Ukrainian captives had been brought home. The exchange highlights ongoing efforts to repatriate thousands of soldiers detained since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Yurii Muravyov, Daria Smetanko/Reuters

April 25, 2026

Ukrainians welcome buses of released prisoners of war

Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) react after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine April 24, 2026.

Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters

Ukrainian residents of a village in the Chernihiv region welcomed released Ukrainian prisoners of war after an exchange with Russia on Friday (April 24).

Reuters footage showed residents waving Ukrainian flags at passing buses.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday (April 24) Ukraine returned 193 of its prisoners of war home in a swap with Russia.

He said some of the returned captives, who included soldiers, border guards and police, had injuries, while others had faced criminal charges in Russia.

The exchange is part of ongoing efforts to return prisoners held during the war, which has seen thousands of soldiers from both sides captured since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

-Yurii Muravyov, Daria Smetanko/Reuters