Ukraine and Russia have begun their largest exchange of prisoners of war, with each side returning 390 soldiers and civilians. According to both governments, more swaps are expected this weekend. The agreement was reached through direct talks in Istanbul last week, marking the first time the two sides have engaged in negotiations since the early months of the war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine welcomed the exchange, saying it marks the implementation of a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap deal. He shared pictures of returned Ukrainians, who were mostly men with shaven heads and gaunt frames, draped in Ukrainian flags.
The Russian defense ministry reported that 270 troops and 120 civilians were turned over in Belarus before being transported to Russia. Ukraine’s military leadership confirmed the same figures for their own returnees.
Hundreds of families gathered at a site in the Chernihiv region to wait for the arrival of buses carrying freed service members. Many family members wore blue and gold Ukrainian flags, hoping to be reunited with their loved ones.
Prisoners who spent years in captivity often know little about the war’s progress or the conditions they left behind. Families cheered as their relatives stepped off the buses, but some remained bewildered by the large crowd waiting for them.
The exchange has been a rare area of cooperation between Ukraine and Russia, with over 60 prisoner swaps occurring in the past three years. The United Nations has reported widespread mistreatment of Ukrainian soldiers, including torture and rape. However, accusations of mistreatment on the Ukrainian side are relatively isolated compared to Russia’s scale.
Ukraine has been sensitive to demands from Western nations for compliance with international law regarding prisoner treatment. Both Ukraine and Russia allow visits from the UN and Red Cross, but those organizations have faced access restrictions in Russia.
Interviews with former prisoners reveal a stark picture of their experiences: Denys, whose arm was blown off by a mine, recalled being beaten 15 times during his 34 days in captivity. Civilians at the camp shared similar accounts of prisoner treatment, including witnessing beatings in a disciplinary cell known as “the pit.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/world/europe/ukraine-russia-prisoner-swap.html