Eastern Frontier

Ukraine repatriates 160 military personnel, Russia launches new attacks

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Jun 26, 2026, 05:30 PM UTC · In the digest of 2026-06-26-1730
Ukraine repatriates 160 military personnel, Russia launches new attacks

Ukraine repatriated 160 military personnel, including 115 Mariupol defenders, held since 2022. Separately, Russia launched seven Iskander-M missiles and 189 drones, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting 177 targets. Ukraine's General Staff updated Russian personnel losses.

Ukraine successfully repatriated 160 military personnel from Russian captivity in the 76th prisoner exchange, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed. All individuals had been held since 2022, with 115 identified as defenders of Mariupol. The ages of those released spanned from 26 to 66. While [Українська правда]'s headline stated the individuals were held for four years, its article body and other reports confirmed they were held since 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defense also acknowledged the exchange.

Separately, Russian forces launched seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 189 uncrewed aerial vehicles towards the Kyiv and Poltava regions overnight on June 26. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 177 targets, including three ballistic missiles and 174 drones, but four missiles and eleven drones struck various sites. Ukraine's General Staff updated its assessment of Russian military personnel losses to 1,398,370 since the full-scale invasion, with 1,310 reported in the preceding 24 hours, alongside equipment losses.

Sources: Громадське, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда

How outlets assessed this

    • Українська правда Neutral Its headline incorrectly stated freed soldiers were held for four years, contradicting its own body text.
    • Українська правда Neutral Its headline incorrectly stated repatriated soldiers were held for four years, despite its body confirming since 2022.

Sources

Earlier coverage