Coordination Headquarters

Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War was established on 11 March 2022 to search for and secure the release of military personnel and civilians held by Russia, ensure treatment complies with International humanitarian law, support prisoners' families, and coordinate the return of remains. Kyrylo Budanov has led it since 2022 and retained the role after Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed him head of the Office of the President on 2 January 2026, a separate POST from his former one as chief of the GUR military intelligence directorate, which passed to Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko.

By March 2026 the headquarters had conducted more than 70 exchanges, returning over 8,000 military personnel and civilians since the invasion began. It confirmed on 10 May 2026 that it had submitted a prisoner list to Russia as part of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange Donald Trump announced on 8 May.