Russia Stops Reclaiming Recruited Ukrainian POWs
Ukraine says Moscow has effectively halted taking back prisoners it drafted from occupied Ukrainian territories.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Military Jobs
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said Russia has effectively stopped taking back POWs recruited in occupied Ukrainian territories since 2023. The statement followed an October 23 exchange of 270 prisoners from each side.
Why it matters
Ukraine says 15% of Russian POWs it holds were recruited in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and Crimea, putting these men in a legal and humanitarian gray zone. Only a few dozen from this group were swapped between 2023 and 2026.
Ukraine's headquarters reports that 15% of Russian prisoners it holds were drafted in occupied Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea, and only a few dozen of them have been swapped since 2023. Russia's human rights commissioner claimed 50 such men were recovered on October 23, a figure Ukraine has not confirmed.
The players
Yana Lantratova
Russia's human rights commissioner, who claimed Moscow received 50 men recovered in the October 23 exchange, including 31 servicemen from the DNR and 13 from the LNR.
Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War
Ukraine's government body responsible for managing the treatment and exchange of prisoners of war, which issued the statement on recruited POWs.
The details
Russia drafts men in occupied Ukrainian territories and sends them to fight Ukraine, and Ukraine's headquarters says Kyiv is ready to return those who want to go once Moscow lists them for exchange. Ukraine has never objected to swapping these prisoners if they voluntarily ask to return to Russia, though Ivan Vikhariev, a 22-year-old from occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said he signed a Russian contract while in pretrial detention.
Timeline
2023: Russia effectively stopped taking back recruited prisoners.
August 19, 2026: A combined prisoner swap began in stages.
October 23, 2026: A third-stage exchange of 270 prisoners each took place.
November 4, 2026: The headquarters published its statement on recruited POWs.
Legacy Context
Ukraine's position that it will return recruited Russian POWs who voluntarily request it follows the framework used in exchanges since 2022. The current stall in Russian reclaims marks a departure from earlier swaps that involved such men.
Recruited prisoners who wish to return to Russia may be exchanged only if Moscow lists them, so their fate depends on Russian action rather than Ukrainian consent. Men like Ivan Vikhariev, who signed Russian contracts while detained, could be handed to Russia if Moscow claims them.
The takeaway
The stalled exchanges leave a group of drafted men in limbo between two countries, with their return dependent on Moscow's willingness to claim them. Readers should watch whether future swap lists include them.
Further reading
For broader context on military service and recruitment, see Military Jobs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Euromaidan Press.
