On February 6, 157 Russian soldiers, including 20 natives of the Chechen Republic, returned home following the first prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine in 2026. During the announcement, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic, stated on his Telegram channel that he and his team had been working extensively on the return of their fellow countrymen, stressing that efforts to repatriate captured servicemen are being conducted on a continuous and systematic basis.

In his statement, Ramzan Kadyrov shared footage showing Chechen soldiers wrapped in the Russian flag and chanting "Akhmat is strength," affirming that he would continue to utilize all available mechanisms to facilitate the return of Russian servicemen to their homeland.