Russian service members released from captivity in Ukraine have arrived in Moscow, according to footage broadcast by the TV channel Star. The program showed a Russian military transport aircraft arriving at a domestic airfield, carrying personnel who had been held for months and were now back on home soil. The moment underscored the ongoing, highly sensitive exchanges between the two nations and the human impact of a prolonged conflict. The returning service members are set to receive medical care and a period of rehabilitation at facilities affiliated with the Russian Ministry of Defense, ensuring their health needs are addressed in a structured system designed for wounded and exhausted personnel. (Source: Star reporting and official press briefings)
On January 31, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the first prisoner exchange under the 195-for-195 framework since the Il-76 transport aircraft crash, an event that had dramatically affected the negotiations. The exchange process, which involved both Russian and Ukrainian participants, was portrayed as a carefully staged step toward humanitarian resolution amid a broader, politically charged context. (Source: Russian defense ministry statements and accompanying press materials)
Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acknowledged international support for the prisoner swap and thanked the United Arab Emirates for facilitating discussions with Ukraine. She noted that the talks narrowly avoided collapse after the Il-76 tragedy, which had threatened to derail the negotiations and potentially disrupt the practice of prisoner exchanges. Nevertheless, she indicated that the diplomatic channels remained open, allowing this exchange to proceed and highlighting the role of regional actors in humanitarian diplomacy. (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson briefings)
Earlier discussions in Russia touched on establishing a formal mechanism to help integrate returned prisoners of war from Ukraine into civilian life, signaling an interest in smoother reintegration processes for veterans and former combatants. The proposed framework would aim to support social, medical, and psychological stabilization as part of the transition from military service back into civilian society. (Source: official statements and policy briefings)