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Geopolitics · POWs · Russia · Ukraine
Ukraine and Russia have continued prisoner of war exchanges, bringing home over 5,700 Ukrainians, including soldiers and civilians, since February 2022 through more than 65 swaps, despite cutting diplomatic ties.
These exchanges represent one of the few remaining communication channels between the warring nations, often negotiated behind closed doors and carried out irregularly. Ukraine consistently proposes an "all-for-all" exchange, which Russia has rejected.
Recent peace talks in Istanbul in May-June led to a record number of releases and an agreement for a phased exchange of prisoners, with at least one more round expected. Historically, exchanges were less frequent, with approximately 3,500 people released between 2014 and 2022.
Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War manages these efforts, while Russia lacks a single negotiating body. Negotiations vary, sometimes involving direct list exchanges like the 1,000-for-1,000 swap, or unequal deals such as 200 Ukrainians for Viktor Medvedchuk.
Russia has deliberately delayed exchanges, causing long pauses, but a "positive trend" is currently observed, according to Petro Yatsenko, a spokesperson for the Coordination Headquarters.