Since the beginning of 2026, as a result of 8 exchanges, 170 National Guardsmen have returned from Russian captivity, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) Oleksandr Pivnenko has said.
A report on the National Guard website on Thursday notes that the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war, establishing the fate of the missing, recovering the bodies of fallen soldiers, and the treatment and rehabilitation of warriors remain among Ukraine’s priorities.
"The National Guard works daily to bring all our male and female defenders home, constantly cooperates with government bodies, communicates with the families of our soldiers, and participates in a number of events and working meetings," the statement highlights.
"Since the beginning of this year, 8 exchanges have been held, as a result of which 170 guardsmen returned from Russian captivity. Each of them undergoes rehabilitation, psychological recovery, and reintegration after release," Pivnenko was quoted as saying.
According to the NGU commander, this year the National Guard has already sent 24 official appeals to diplomatic missions of Ukraine abroad, international organizations, and military formations of partner countries calling for increased international pressure on Russia and the activation of all possible mechanisms for the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
"Representatives of the National Guard constantly work in the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and its regional centers in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv, and Lviv. Since the beginning of the year, 50 group and 177 individual consultations have been held with families," the NGU notes.
The NGU commander emphasized that support for the families of fallen heroes and service members who went missing remains a separate area of work for the National Guard.
"Since the beginning of the year, National Guard specialists have processed nearly 90% of applications for issuing certificates to family members of deceased and missing service members, and issued the certificates. Behind each of these documents is the realization of state guarantees, social protection, and our responsibility to the families of those who gave their lives for Ukraine or whose fate still remains unknown," Pivnenko added.
According to the report, the evacuation of the bodies of fallen brothers-in-arms from the battlefield is currently one of the most difficult tasks of the war: the combat space is almost entirely controlled by enemy reconnaissance and strike drones, and every meter of the way to a position or back means a risk to the lives of those who go on this mission.
"To this end, NGU units develop and apply dozens of tactical solutions: from night sorties and the use of camouflage to the deployment of ground robotic systems and specially trained evacuation groups," the National Guard said.
