The return of soldiers from Russian captivity happens during prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia. Those freed often include Mykolaiv marines who defended Mariupol and Azovstal, and on 15 May 2026, 58 soldiers from Mykolaiv Oblast came home. Mykolaiv pays for backpacks with essentials for released soldiers, and the Verkhovna Rada guaranteed all service members three months of leave after captivity.
MykVisti covers every exchange, the stories of freed defenders and their homecoming in Mykolaiv Oblast.