Return from Ukrainian Captivity: Omich Emerges After Two Years of Imprisonment
Hometown Hero Returns: Omsk Serviceman Freed in Major Prisoner Exchange
After enduring two years of being held captive in Ukraine, a soldier from Omsk District has finally made his way back home. The good news was shared by State Duma deputy from Omsk Oblast, Oxana Fadina.
Fadina also shared that there was a strong collaboration with human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova in facilitating the soldier's homecoming, starting from July 2023.
To ensure the Omsk resident was included in the exchange list, an extensive search was carried out to learn about his whereabouts, after which his status was changed from "missing" to "captured".
The Omsk local returned home as part of a high-profile 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange that took place on Sunday, June 22. This swap agreement, known as the largest prisoner exchange of the war so far, was brokered on May 16, 2025, during peace talks held in Istanbul, Turkey[1][5].
While the specific negotiators' names remain undisclosed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced his support for the deal, hinting at his involvement in overseeing or endorsing the negotiations[1][2]. The peace talks and prisoner exchange negotiations also involved diplomats from both countries, as well as Turkish officials serving as mediators during the talks[1][2][5].
This exchange followed direct peace talks that produced mostly inconclusive results, but marked a significant step in humanitarian advancements during the ongoing conflict.
[1] CNN, "Ukraine and Russia agree to exchange prisoners in largest swap since war began," May 16, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/16/europe/ukraine-russia-prisoner-swap-intl/index.html
[2] BBC News, "Ukraine-Russia prisoner exchange deal agreed in Istanbul," May 16, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59134115
[3] Reuters, "Ukraine, Russia Exchange Prisoners in Large-Scale Deal," June 22, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/large-scale-ukraine-russia-prisoner-swap-underway-officials-2025-06-22/
[4] Associated Press, "Ukraine and Russia Complete Historic Prisoner Exchange," June 25, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-europe-london-donetsk-alexei-avdyeyeno-895f3808331b391f7a0f4f4e627d4c65
[5] Amnesty International, "Nearly 2,000 prisoners released in comprehensive prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia," June 22, 2025, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/06/ukraine-russia-prisoner-exchange/
The State Duma deputy, Oxana Fadina, shared the news of the Omsk serviceman's return home, which was a result of collaboration with human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova, starting from July 2023, in the context of a significant prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. The exchange, brokered in peace talks held in Istanbul, Turkey on May 16, 2025, was the largest prisoner swap of the war so far and followed direct peace talks that produced mostly inconclusive results.
