At the same moment that the newly released prisoners of war cross the border into Ukraine, an SMS is sent to their next of kin.
Only then are they safe.
On Wednesday, DN was present at the first prisoner exchange after the summer – 103 prisoners of war from each side were released.
One of them is Mykhailo.
- It is the best day of my life. I can't believe it's true. Ukraine is the best country in the world!
He says he was captured in Klishtjiivka, south of Bachmut, in 2023.
The men have just crossed the border by bus from Belarus, where they have been taken from places of detention across Russia. As they staggered out into the sun, they were met by representatives from various military units and a number of journalists. On a table are boxes of apples, water and cigarettes. The newly released prisoners have shaved heads and are very thin.
Dmytro was arrested in Donetsk three years ago, he says. He was tied hands and feet, blindfolded and thrown onto the bed of a pickup truck. He has been tortured, shot in the face and spent time in several prisons.
Now he squints, smokes cig after cig. In two months he will turn 30. His mother knows he is free. Dmytro moves across the courtyard. His gaze flickers and he looks a little confused.
In a short ceremony, the soldiers are welcomed by the head of the military intelligence service HUR, Oleh Ivashchenko. He gives thanks for all they sacrificed. Even President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pays tribute to them in a statement.
But not all ex-prisoners are included here; around 30 are so badly injured that they have been taken by ambulance directly to a hospital in Chernihiv. Others can also come there for an initial medical examination and psychological interview, after the short stop near the border. During the bus journey, they are given a brief summary of the situation in the country: Most have been isolated from the outside world for several years. They neither know how much of Ukraine is occupied nor how much a loaf of bread and a liter of petrol costs.
In the villages, the country road is lined with people with flags and signs.
- The very first thing those released need is to know that someone is waiting for them. During captivity, they are constantly told that they are forgotten, that no one cares anymore, says Olha Koval, who is a crisis psychologist and has worked with prisoner exchanges for two years.
After that, they need peace, time and privacy. Many are in poor condition, also psychologically.
The ex-prisoners are also welcomed outside the hospital. There are people waiting there, most of them relatives of imprisoned or missing soldiers. Many carry photographs of missing spouses, brothers and sons.
- Today I met a comrade of my husband, they were captured at the same time in Vuhledar, in Donetsk. It's been a year and eleven months. I have seen a video from a drone that shows how it happened and how they were tied up, says Oksana Chitiova.
It was a short meeting and an embrace here outside the hospital.
- My husband was a factory worker, but joined the army as a volunteer in 2022. He was 44 when he was taken.
She comes here from Kyiv at every prisoner exchange. From the Ukrainian side, they are not notified in advance, but she intercepts them through Russian Telegram channels.
Oksana Chitiova falls silent, then she smiles with tears in her eyes:
- I am at a loss for words for what I felt when I met his friend recently. It was like seeing the sun at the end of a long tunnel.
Ljuba Brodovska, 50, is missing her only son, he disappeared somewhere around Kharkiv two years ago. He was 28 years old then.
- He worked in Poland but came back to fight for his country. He was such a kind and generous person, gave collections in the church and helped everyone. Not least me.
She shows the text messages she still writes and says she still has hope.
- I thank God for those who have come home today, and pray that my son will do the same.
He promised to return.
Wednesday's prisoner exchange was the 77th since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. In addition, the countries have exchanged the remains of fallen soldiers on several occasions. It happened most recently last week.
Exchanges are among the few avenues of contact between Ukraine and Russia that seem to be working, despite the war. But every negotiation is difficult, says Ukraine's intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko to DN:
- The processes are long and cumbersome with many people involved, including volunteers. The Russians are not interested in releasing anyone, they consider Ukrainians as terrorists. They try to delay and deceive us.
