Eastern Frontier

Ukraine repatriates 160 military personnel, Russia launches overnight strikes

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Jun 26, 2026, 07:30 PM UTC · In the digest of 2026-06-26-1930
Ukraine repatriates 160 military personnel, Russia launches overnight strikes

Ukraine repatriated 160 military personnel in the 76th prisoner exchange. Separately, Russian forces launched seven ballistic missiles and 189 drones overnight, with 15 targets striking various sites.

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. Their ages ranged 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.

Sources: Громадське, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда

How outlets assessed this

    • Українська правда Neutral Its headline incorrectly stated repatriated soldiers were held for four years, despite its body confirming since 2022.
    • Українська правда Neutral Its headline stated repatriated personnel were held for four years, while the article body confirmed since 2022.
    • Радіо Свобода Neutral Reported the exchange, consistently stating all personnel were held since 2022.

Sources

Earlier coverage