In 2026, Ukraine captured more Russians than Russia captured Ukrainians.

In 2026, Ukraine captured an average of 107 more Russian service members per month than Russia captured Ukrainian ones. Over the first eight months, the difference was 858 service members.

This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, citing the “I Want to Live” project.

The project noted that as early as 2023, Russian propaganda claimed there were allegedly over 20,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia. In January 2024, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin also claimed that the ratio of Russian to Ukrainian prisoners was “one to ten.”

At the same time, “I Want to Live” notes that, since mid-2023, Ukraine has begun capturing more Russian military personnel than Russia has captured Ukrainian ones. According to the project, in 2024 and 2025, Ukraine’s exchange fund grew faster than Russia’s, and in 2026, the gap continued to widen.

One of the project’s key factors is an information campaign that, since September 2022, has been informing Russian soldiers about the possibility of surrendering and the conditions of their captivity. According to I Want to Live, the project’s website has been visited by over 50 million people, primarily from Russia.

Ukrainian troops also play a significant role in capturing Russians. Ukrainian troops receive bonuses for capturing enemy soldiers.

I Want to Live notes that captured Russian military personnel could be used to conduct exchanges through which Ukraine would return its military personnel and civilian hostages.