# OPEN LETTER: To the 160 defenders of Mariupol finally home > Introduction: a letter to those returning from hell - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Open letter - Published: 2026-07-03 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/lettre-ouverte-lettre-ouverte-aux-160-defenseurs-de-marioupol-enfin-rentres-chez-eux ## Introduction: a letter to those returning from hell ### Why I'm writing to you directly Today I am writing directly to you, the **160 Ukrainian servicemen** who returned from **Russian** **captivity** on **June 26, 2026**, as part of the third phase of the "**thousand for thousand**" **exchange**. Among you, **115 defenders of Mariupol** and the **Azovstal** plant, held since 2022. I don't know you personally, but your story deserves to be told with the **dignity** it commands. You held on for **four years**. Four years of **captivity**, which we know, from testimonies gathered since 2022, was accompanied by atrocities documented by human rights organizations. I am writing this letter because I believe the Western world has a duty to never forget you, and to never forget why you fought. ## What this **exchange** reveals about the **war** itself ### The 76th **exchange** since 2022 This **exchange** on **June 26** is not isolated. It is the **76th prisoner exchange** since the start of the full-scale **Russian** invasion, according to data compiled by several **Ukrainian** outlets. Each **exchange** tells a similar story: men and women torn from their **family**, from their units, from their normal life, then returned, often years later, to a country that kept fighting in their absence. President **Volodymyr Zelensky** stated that this year alone, **1,596 Ukrainians** have been brought home, and that more than **9,500 people** have returned since the start of the **war** in 2022. These figures, cold as they may be on paper, represent thousands of reunions, tears, and suspended griefs finally resolved. ### The constant **mediation** of the **United Arab Emirates** It must be said: this exchange, like so many before it, was made possible thanks to the **mediation** of the **United Arab Emirates**, which has played a discreet but essential role in these **humanitarian** negotiations since the start of the **conflict**. Without this behind-the-scenes **diplomacy**, many of these returns simply would not have happened. ## **Azovstal**, symbol of a **resistance** that made history ### The siege that redefined Ukrainian courage To understand the full weight of what you represent, dear liberated defenders, we must remember what the siege of the **Azovstal** plant in **Mariupol** was like in the spring of 2022. Surrounded, bombed, cut off from supplies, you held out for weeks under conditions few armies could have endured, becoming, despite yourselves, a global symbol of **resistance** against Russian aggression. That symbol has lost none of its force **four years** later. Every **Azovstal** defender who returns home today revives in Ukrainian and Western collective memory the scale of the **sacrifice** made to defend **Mariupol** against a Russian army that ultimately razed the city. ### What **captivity** cost them According to information relayed by Ukrainian authorities, those released include servicemen suffering from serious illnesses, some having developed cancers or tuberculosis during their **detention**. The youngest released defender is **26**, the oldest **66**, a range that reminds us this **war** has mobilized entire generations of Ukrainians. ## The "**thousand for thousand**" deal, anatomy of a fragile negotiation ### A deal born from a three-day ceasefire This exchange is part of the **"thousand for thousand"** deal, negotiated in May 2026 during a three-day ceasefire facilitated by the United States. President **Donald Trump** had announced on his social network at the time that the truce included a suspension of all kinetic activity, along with an exchange of a thousand prisoners on each side. Since then, the deal has advanced in phases: **205 prisoners** exchanged on May 15, **185** on June 5, and now **160** on **June 26**. At this pace, several more phases will still be needed to reach the full target of a thousand exchanges announced by each side. ### A slowness that weighs on **families** This step-by-step progression, welcome as it may be, still leaves hundreds, if not thousands, of Ukrainian **families** waiting. The commander of the 1st Azov Brigade of the National Guard, **Denys Prokopenko**, noted that more than **700 servicemen** of the Azov regiment remain in Russian **captivity** after five years now, a reality that tempers the enthusiasm sparked by each new exchange. ## **Trump**'s murky role in this **humanitarian** matter ### A necessary evil to wring concessions from **Moscow** I will not pretend I appreciate everything **Donald Trump** represents on the international stage. But I must acknowledge, with the same honesty that guides this letter, that his diplomatic pressure helped wring this large-scale exchange deal from the **Kremlin**, when years of more conventional negotiations had produced only limited results. It is this permanent tension that defines, in my view, the relationship between the **West** and **Trump**: an unpredictable ally, sometimes erratic in his statements, but capable of achieving concrete results where traditional **diplomacy** has been stalled for years. ### The limits of transactional diplomacy But this transactional approach has its limits. Reducing the **release** of **prisoners of war** to a simple exchange negotiated between great powers risks trivializing what remains, fundamentally, a basic **humanitarian** obligation under international law. **Prisoners of war** should never be geopolitical bargaining chips, even when this logic produces tangible results. ## What this **release** means for **Volodymyr Zelensky** ### A **hero** who never forgets his own I'll say it plainly: **Volodymyr Zelensky** has embodied, since the start of this war, a leadership that refuses to abandon his **soldiers** to their fate. His constant presence on these exchange files, his insistence on naming every group of **freed** defenders, his memory of the units and places of **captivity**, all of this reflects a personal commitment that goes beyond mere political communication. In his statement on **June 26**, **Zelensky** personally welcomed the return of the defenders of **Mariupol** and **Azovstal**, as well as **soldiers** who held defensive positions in several directions along the front since 2022. This level of detail is not trivial for a head of state in the midst of war. ### The promise of an "all for all" **Zelensky** also recalled, in an open letter addressed to the Kremlin in June, that Ukraine remains ready for a prisoner exchange under the principle of "all for all," which he presents as a possible prologue to a broader peace settlement. This proposal, if accepted by **Moscow**, would radically transform the humanitarian dynamic of this **conflict**. ## Russia and the **lie** of clemency ### An exchange that must not whitewash the crimes committed It must be said clearly: this prisoner exchange must under no circumstances be interpreted as a gesture of goodwill from **Vladimir Putin**. Russia held these men for four years under conditions documented as inhumane by multiple international organizations. No exchange, however welcome, erases that responsibility. The Russian Ministry of Defense, for its part, confirmed that **160 Russian servicemen** had been returned to Russia, transferred to **Belarus** to receive care before their final return home. This apparent symmetry in the numbers must not obscure the fundamental moral asymmetry between aggressor and victim in this conflict. ### A war that continues despite the exchanges While these exchanges take place, fighting continues on the front, and **Russian** bombardments against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure continue relentlessly. It would be dangerous to let these one-off humanitarian gestures mask the continued brutality of the Russian aggression against the whole of Ukrainian territory. ## Verifying the **missing**, an immense humanitarian undertaking ### A parallel agreement between ombudsmen Beyond the exchange itself, the Ukrainian and Russian ombudsmen, **Dmytro Lubinets** and **Yana Lantratova**, agreed to continue mutual visits to **prisoners of war** and the verification of detained individuals. They also exchanged extensive lists of servicemen **missing** under particular circumstances, to check whether they are being held captive somewhere. This verification work, less spectacular than the exchanges themselves, nonetheless represents a colossal humanitarian challenge for thousands of Ukrainian **families** who still do not know the fate of their loved ones **missing** since the start of the war. ### **Civilians** also **freed** On **June 27**, the day after this military exchange, Ukraine also announced the **release** of **seven civilians** illegally detained by **Russian** occupation forces since the start of the invasion, seized directly from their homes in **Mariupol**, in the **Kyiv** region, in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk. This detail is a reminder that Russian captivity affects not only servicemen, but also innocent **civilians**. ## What the **West** still has to accomplish ### Keeping the pressure on **Moscow** Dear **freed defenders**, your return must not become a pretext for the West to ease its pressure on Russia. On the contrary, every successful exchange must strengthen our collective determination to support Ukraine until every remaining prisoner is freed, and until a just peace is reached that never rewards Russian aggression. I firmly believe that economic sanctions, continued military support, and diplomatic pressure must remain absolute priorities for Western governments, as long as Russia continues to hold **Ukrainian** prisoners under unacceptable conditions. ### Never forgetting those who remain captive For every defender who comes home, others remain behind Russian bars, sometimes for even longer. The West, and Western media in particular, have a duty to never let attention fade on this issue, even as the news cycle shifts to other international crises. This is precisely why I chose to write this open letter rather than a simple factual account: because these men and women deserve to have their story told with the emotion and gravity it commands. ## The human cost we rarely count ### **Families** rebuilt after four years of absence Behind every official number lies a family story upended: children who grew up without their father, wives who waited without certainty, aging parents who hoped to see their son one more time. These reunions, joyful as they are, often come with a long psychological rebuilding process for soldiers deeply marked by their captivity. Ukrainian authorities have specified that all **freed defenders** will receive medical care, appropriate treatment, documents, financial compensation, and rehabilitation support. This is the bare minimum the Ukrainian nation owes these men who sacrificed everything for it. ### A collective trauma that goes beyond individuals Beyond individual cases, this war has created a collective trauma across an entire nation. Every Ukrainian family knows, directly or indirectly, someone who has been killed, wounded, captured, or displaced by this invasion. It is this collective dimension of the Ukrainian **sacrifice** that the West must keep honoring with unwavering support. ## A universal lesson on the value of perseverance ### What your resistance teaches the world Dear defenders of **Mariupol**, your resistance at **Azovstal** will remain in history as an example of courage against a vastly larger military force. You proved that human determination can hold out longer than even the most pessimistic military calculations predict. This lesson goes beyond the strict scope of this war: it reminds every democracy threatened by authoritarian powers that organized resistance, even seemingly desperate, can inflict a considerable political and symbolic cost on the aggressor, far beyond the immediate battlefield. ### A hope that must keep guiding Ukraine Your return today must serve as inspiration to everyone who still doubts the outcome of this war. Ukraine has resisted for four years against one of the largest armies in the world, and it continues to bring its sons and daughters home, one exchange after another, one negotiation after another. It is this tenacious hope, this ability to celebrate every **humanitarian victory** without ever giving up on final military and political victory, that in my view defines the Ukrainian spirit since February 2022. ## The discreet but crucial role of the **United Arab Emirates** ### Humanitarian diplomacy far from the spotlight For several months, the **United Arab Emirates** has established itself as a discreet but indispensable intermediary in these prisoner exchanges. Far from major international conferences and highly publicized summits, Emirati diplomacy operates in the shadows, through direct contacts between **Kyiv** and Moscow, enabling the secure transfer of hundreds of soldiers and civilians. This **mediation** illustrates how resolving humanitarian crises sometimes requires actors who do not seek the spotlight, but who hold the trust of both belligerents. Without this delicate trust to preserve, none of the seventy-six exchanges recorded since 2022 could have taken place. ### A model that could inspire other mediations The repeated success of this Emirati mediation raises a broader question: why haven't major Western powers invested more in this kind of direct humanitarian diplomacy? The answer likely lies in the very nature of the conflict, where Washington and European capitals are perceived by Moscow as parties to the conflict rather than neutral mediators. The United Arab Emirates, for its part, maintains economic and diplomatic relations with Russia while supporting certain **Ukrainian** humanitarian efforts, which gives it a unique position. This role deserves to be praised and documented, because it saves real lives, exchange after exchange. ## The unfinished fight to identify the **missing** ### Families still suspended in uncertainty Beyond the confirmed releases, thousands of Ukrainian families are still waiting for news of loved ones reported missing since the start of the Russian invasion. The recent exchange of lists of missing servicemen between **Kyiv** and Moscow, reported in late June, marks a necessary but largely insufficient step given the scale of this human tragedy. Every name added to these lists represents a family that has lived in anguish for sometimes more than four years, not knowing whether their son, husband, or father died in combat, is held in a Russian prison, or went missing in the chaos of the front line. ### A wartime bureaucracy that must speed up Humanitarian organizations, including the International Committee of the **Red Cross**, have for months called for more systematic cooperation between both sides to speed up the identification of bodies and the location of unregistered prisoners. This wartime bureaucracy, necessary as it is, moves at a pace that remains cruelly insufficient for waiting families. I believe the international community must exert greater pressure on Moscow to accelerate this humanitarian cooperation, because every month of delay needlessly prolongs the suffering of thousands of **Ukrainian** loved ones. ## What I wish for you, who are finally coming home ### The time for healing Dear freed defenders, I now wish you the time you need to heal, to rebuild, to reclaim a life that was taken from you for four long years. No one can give you back that lost time, but Ukraine, and I hope the entire West, now owes you unconditional support in your recovery. I also wish that one day you will be able to tell your story without pain overshadowing the legitimate pride you should feel for having held on, for having survived, for having come home despite everything. ### A recognition that must last I promise you, as a columnist, to keep telling your story, that of your comrades still held captive, and that of this Ukrainian nation that refuses to bow to aggression. Your **sacrifice** will not be forgotten, and I will keep reminding readers of it, exchange after exchange, until every Ukrainian prisoner finally regains their freedom. This is the promise I make in this letter, with all the humility and respect your journey commands. ## Conclusion: a letter that erases nothing, but bears witness ### The duty of memory against forgetting This open letter does not claim to repair **four years** of captivity, nor to erase the suffering endured by the **160 defenders** who returned on June 26. It simply aims to bear witness, on their behalf and on behalf of all those still held captive, that their sacrifice has not gone unnoticed and never will, as long as I keep writing about this war. The road to peace remains long, strewn with uncertainty and fragile negotiations, but every successful exchange is a concrete **humanitarian victory** in a conflict that, otherwise, sometimes seems endless. ### A call to never look away I close this letter by calling on every Western reader to never look away from this war, even as media fatigue sets in. These men and women paid an **immense price** for their country's freedom, and the least we can do, from our comfortable democracies, is to keep telling their story. Welcome home, defenders of Mariupol and **Azovstal**. Your country, and a part of the world that admires you, has never forgotten you. **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - [Ukraine and Russia complete third phase of 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange — RBC-Ukraine, June 26, 2026](https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-and-russia-complete-third-phase-of-1782478036.html) - [Russia and Ukraine swap 160 soldiers each in latest prisoner exchange — Euronews, June 26, 2026](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/26/russia-and-ukraine-swap-160-soldiers-each-in-latest-prisoner-exchange) ### Secondary sources - [Ukraine, Russia swap lists of missing military personnel — RBC-Ukraine, June 27, 2026](https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-russia-swap-lists-of-missing-military-1782567030.html) - [More than half of NGU fighters returned from captivity — Interfax-Ukraine, June 16, 2026](https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/1176917-amp.html) - [75th Prisoner Exchange: 186 Ukrainians Liberated From Captivity — Militarnyi, June 5, 2026](https://militarnyi.com/en/news/75th-prisoner-exchange-186-ukrainians-freed/) - [Ukrainian defenders released from captivity sing national anthem — Ukrainska Pravda, June 5, 2026](https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/05/8037934/) --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. When citing, name the author and link https://mad-max.co/en/article/lettre-ouverte-lettre-ouverte-aux-160-defenseurs-de-marioupol-enfin-rentres-chez-eux