A Ukrainian soldier whose daughter was rescued from occupied territory in March 2025 was released from a Russian prison camp on the first day of a major prisoner-of-war (POW) swap in the thousand-for-thousand format.

Source:Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Commissioner for Human Rights, on Telegram

Details:The soldier was captured more than three years ago, at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His 15-year-old daughter, Sofiia, was taken to Russia by her mother, who later returned with the child to temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory.

The girl’s grandmother, who had raised her from birth, appealed to Lubinets to secure her liberation.

"All this time, the child lived in unbearable conditions,"  Lubinets said. "The struggle to bring her back was long and challenging."

The grandmother gained custody of Sofiia, and in March 2025, the girl came back to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Sofia’s father was freed from captivity on the first day of the major prisoner swap. For the first time in years, he heard the voices of his mother and daughter.

Quote from Lubinets: "This is one of many stories of families torn apart by war. But these moments give us the strength to believe and fight on.

We work to ensure every child and adult can come back to a free Ukraine and be reunited."

Background:Ukrainska Pravda shared emotional stories of soldiers brought back on the first day of the large-scale POW exchange.

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