The Coordination Headquarters of Ukraine for the Treatment of Prisoners of War for the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale war named the number of Belarusian citizens who fought on Russia's side and were taken prisoner by Ukraine, writes "Svaboda".
"As of July 2026, there are 22 citizens of Belarus in places of detention for prisoners of war in Ukraine. Since 2022, 7 Belarusians who also had Russian citizenship have been exchanged for citizens of Ukraine who were in Russian captivity," said Bohdan Akhrymenko, head of the secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters, in response to an official request from "Svaboda".
At the same time, Bohdan Akhrymenko did not answer the question of whether Belarusian authorities had approached Ukraine regarding the release of Belarusians and in what format.
Previously, the exchange of Belarusian citizens was carried out within the framework of Russian-Ukrainian exchanges that took place on Belarusian territory.
The Ukrainian side repeatedly drew attention to the fact that Belarusians were handed over to Russia. However, at least one case is known where a transferred prisoner — former Belarusian Special Operations Forces fighter Maksim Zyazyulchyk — was sentenced after being released from Ukrainian captivity under Articles 133 and 356 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (mercenarism and treason, respectively). Zyazyulchyk is serving his sentence in correctional colony No. 17 in Shklov (Mogilev region).
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