On August 14, 2026, 84 Ukrainians returned home from Russian captivity — 33 service members and 51 civilians — including Bohdan Kovalchuk from Donetsk region, freed after nine years.
On August 14, 2026, families across Ukraine received news they had waited years for: 84 Ukrainians came home from Russian captivity. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the group included 33 military service members and 51 civilians. Volunteers Support Ukraine joins in the relief felt by every family reunited today.
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed that at least 8 civilian hostages were among the 51 civilians released this time. The freed included defenders of Mariupol, as well as civilians who had been held since as far back as 2014, 2016, and 2017. The team at Volunteers Support Ukraine follows every exchange closely, because behind each number is a real person and a real family.
Among those freed was Bohdan Kovalchuk, a resident of Donetsk region who returned home after nine years in Russian captivity. Nine years is long enough for children to grow up and parents to grow old while a family waits for news. His story is just one of 84, but it is a reminder of why every exchange matters. Volunteers Support Ukraine believes that behind every figure in a report is a person who can finally return to ordinary life.
This exchange follows agreements reached during talks in Istanbul earlier in 2026. Since then, Ukraine and Russia have carried out periodic prisoner exchanges, bringing home service members and civilians who waited months or even years for release. Volunteers Support Ukraine sees every such exchange as a reminder of how many Ukrainians remain in captivity, and why hope matters.
Volunteers Support Ukraine continues to support people affected by the war with whatever resources it has available, from humanitarian aid for volunteers and families in frontline areas to sharing stories the world deserves to hear. We were not involved in arranging this exchange, but we share the joy of every family reunited today, and we keep contributing wherever we can help.
