Ukraine and Russia have exchanged 300 prisoners each on the second day of the POW swap
Ukraine and Russia completed the second phase of a two-day prisoner of war swap, exchanging 300 prisoners each.
On Friday, Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner swap, exchanging 300 service personnel each over the course of two days. Among those released were several individuals who had been in captivity since the early stages of the war in 2022.
The exchange represents the second prisoner-of-war swap between the two parties this year and follows closely on the heels of recent peace talks facilitated by the United States. On Thursday, the initial day of the swap, both Kyiv and Moscow released 200 prisoners of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that numerous soldiers who were freed had been taken captive while protecting crucial battlefronts throughout Ukraine.
“They defended Ukraine in various sectors—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mariupol,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, highlighting that most of those returned had spent over a year in captivity.
He confirmed that two Ukrainian civilians were included in those returned home during Friday’s exchange.
The Defense Ministry of Russia announced that the exchange was facilitated by the United States and the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the importance of international partners in enabling humanitarian agreements between conflicting parties.
Footage shared by Zelenskyy depicted numerous Ukrainian servicemen disembarking from large white buses, smiling and waving as they received a warm welcome from border guards. A poignant moment recorded on video shows a returning soldier, speaking on a mobile phone, comforting his loved ones about his well-being.
“I am vibrant and well.” Everything is fine. “I do not have teeth,” he said, highlighting the struggles faced during captivity.
Early February saw the last prisoner exchange following peace negotiations in Abu Dhabi. Kyiv anticipated that a fresh round of negotiations focused on concluding the war would occur at the start of March. Nevertheless, the discussions were delayed due to rising tensions in the Middle East, which included military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as retaliatory missile strikes by Tehran targeting Israel and various Gulf sites with American military installations.
This week, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is looking forward to receiving a new date for the upcoming round of negotiations from Washington.
In the midst of continued hostilities, prisoner exchanges have stood out as one of the limited avenues of cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow since the onset of the war, offering rare moments of solace for families on both sides of the conflict.
