---
title: "Lubinets: 9,726 Ukrainians Returned from Russian Captivity, US Played a Key Role"
description: "Ombudsman Lubinets reported at the “Ukraine — USA” forum on the return of 9,726 Ukrainians from Russian captivity, including 2,506 children and 464 civilians. The US played a key role in the exchanges."
date: 2026-08-24T15:52:04.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/lubinets-9726-ukrainians-returned-from-russian-captivity-us-role
tags: [ukraine, prisoners-of-war, usa, exchange, dmitry-lubinec, humanitarian, mariupol]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Lubinets: 9,726 Ukrainians Returned from Russian Captivity, US Played a Key Role

![Dmytro Lubynets at a prisoner exchange meeting: 9726 Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity with US support](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/24/lubinets-9726-ukraincev-vozvratheny-iz-plena-rol-ssha/lubinets-9726-ukraincev-vozvratheny-iz-plena-rol-ssha-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- 9,726 Ukrainians have been returned from Russian captivity, including 2,506 children and 464 civilians
- The US played a key role in organizing the “thousand for a thousand” exchanges and the return of deported children
- On August 24, an exchange took place in which 10 military personnel, previously listed as missing in action, were brought home
- Russia has established the whereabouts of 79 Ukrainian military personnel who had previously been listed as missing in action

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights, revealed extensive statistics on the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians from Russian captivity at the international event “Freedom That Unites: Ukraine — USA.” According to him, as of August 24, 2026, 9,726 “heroes and heroines” who had passed through Russian captivity had returned home. The Ombudsman emphasized that a significant portion of these results was made possible thanks to the cooperation of the United States of America.

### The Role of American Partnership in “Thousand for a Thousand” Exchanges

Lubinets separately thanked the American side for the initiative to organize special exchanges under the “thousand for a thousand” formula. It was precisely the American proposal, according to the Ombudsman, that made it possible to return civilian hostages, among whom were clergy members. To date, 464 civilians have been released from Russian captivity. “I know that we are doing and will do so that every single one of them returns,” Lubinets stated, setting the goal of the full return of all detained civilians.

### Program for the Return of Deported Ukrainian Children

The Ombudsman singled out as a separate area of work the “window of opportunity” that has emerged since 2025 for the return of Ukrainian children deported by the Russian occupiers. Lubinets noted that it was precisely the public and behind-the-scenes activity of the First Lady of the United States that became the catalyst for this process. As of August 24, 2026, 2,506 Ukrainian children have been returned from Russian captivity. According to the Ombudsman’s assessment, this figure is the result of coordinated efforts by Kyiv and Washington.

### Recent Exchanges: August 19 and 24

On the very day of Lubinets’s speech, August 24, the second stage of the latest prisoner-of-war exchange took place: Ukraine brought home ten military personnel who had previously been listed as missing in action. The day before, on August 19, a large-scale exchange under the 103-for-103 formula was carried out: 103 Ukrainians were returned from Russian captivity, and in return 103 detained Russian military personnel were handed over to Ukraine. In addition, the Ombudsman reported that Russia has established the whereabouts of 79 Ukrainian military personnel who had been listed as missing in action, creating the prerequisites for their subsequent return.

### Context: Defenders of Mariupol — the Most Difficult Group

Earlier, in May 2026, Lubinets noted that the most difficult situation remains the return of the detained defenders of Mariupol. This group of prisoners of war, held under conditions that differ significantly from those of standard camps, requires a separate diplomatic approach. The issue in question does not change the overall dynamics: the total number of those who have returned is already approaching the 10,000 mark, making the exchange program one of the most effective areas of Ukraine’s humanitarian cooperation with international partners throughout the entire period of the full-scale conflict.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Thousands Released from Captivity: Lubinets Reveals the US Role in the Return of Ukrainians](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/tisyachi-zvilnenih-iz-polonu-lubinets-rozkriv-1787585543.html) - Первичный источник: прямые цитаты Лубинца с мероприятия, все ключевые цифры (9726, 2506, 464, 103/103, 79) взяты из этого материала.
- [The Most Difficult Situation Remains the Return of the Detained Defenders of Mariupol – Lubinets](https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2026/05/16/8034923/) - Контекстный источник (16.05.2026): подтверждает, что группа защитников Мариуполя остаётся наиболее сложной для обмена.
- [The Situation with the Return of the Detained Defenders of Mariupol Remains the Most Difficult, – Ombudsman ...](https://ukranews.com/news/1152195-situatsiya-s-vozvrashheniem-plennyh-zashhitnikov-mariupolya-ostaetsya-samoj-slozhnoj-ombudsmen) - Дублирует контекст источника 2, подтверждает позицию Лубинца по Мариуполю.
- [A New Stage of the Return of Prisoners Has Taken Place – Who Was Able to Be Released from Russia](https://glavred.info/ukraine/sostoyalsya-novyy-etap-vozvrashcheniya-plennyh-kogo-udalos-osvobodit-iz-rossii-10776131.html) - Подтверждает факт проведения нового этапа обмена пленных в конце августа 2026.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many Ukrainians in total have been returned from Russian captivity as of August 24, 2026?
**A:** According to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, as of August 24, 2026, 9,726 Ukrainian citizens have been returned from Russian captivity, including 2,506 children and 464 civilians.

### Q: What role did the US play in the return of Ukrainian prisoners?
**A:** Lubinets noted that it was precisely the American side that proposed the “thousand for a thousand” exchange format and initiated the return of civilian hostages. Also, since 2025, the First Lady of the United States has publicly and behind the scenes supported the return of deported Ukrainian children.

### Q: What happened on August 19 and 24, 2026, within the framework of the exchanges?
**A:** On August 19, an exchange under the 103-for-103 formula took place: 103 Ukrainians were brought home. On August 24, in the second stage of the latest exchange, Ukraine returned 10 military personnel who had previously been listed as missing in action.

### Q: Which group of prisoners remains the most difficult to return?
**A:** According to Lubinets, the most difficult situation remains that of the detained defenders of Mariupol, which he had already confirmed back in May 2026.