signed:
1. Oleg Ivashchenko - Lieutenant General, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (since January 2, 2026), Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (March 2024 - January 2026), Head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War
2. Andriy Yusov - Ukrainian public activist and political figure, analyst, since 2022 - Representative for Strategic Communication of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Deputy Head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (part-time)
3. Artem Vyshnyak - Azov fighter, former prisoner of war
4. Valentyn Ostryzhny - Ukrainian serviceman, Brigadier General of the National Guard of Ukraine, participant of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Deputy Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine (for work with personnel)
5. Artem Bondarenko - Head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine
6. Yevhen Sasko - Colonel, Head of the Kursk Operation
7. Valeriy Paditel - Ukrainian serviceman, Colonel of the State Border Service of Ukraine, participant of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Knight of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III degree (2022). Hero of Ukraine (2022). Head of the Department of Social Support of the State Border Service
8. Oleksiy Kustovsky - artist, author of the stamp and envelope
In April 2026, Ukrposhta, in collaboration with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, announced a nationwide contest for designs for a postage stamp titled “We Are Waiting!”
A total of 195 entries were submitted to the contest. The best designs were featured in the “Diya” app for a public vote, and Nikita Titov’s sketch “Stork. Freedom” emerged as the winner. The design unites the most cherished colors—those of our flag and of hope—with the image of the stork, Ukraine’s sacred bird, as well as the dreams, hopes, and efforts to bring prisoners of war and those missing in action home.
Andriy Yermolenko, whose work “Herald of Goodness” took second place, depicted a Ukrainian prisoner of war isolated by barbed wire, alluding to a crown of thorns. Through the bars, the defender feeds a titmouse. This contrast underscores that even in captivity, Ukrainians retain their compassion, inner light, and human dignity.
The new postage stamps, which Ukrposhta is unveiling to mark the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, are dedicated to the heroes who keep Ukraine standing and to all of us who wait every day for their return home.