In the largest prisoner exchange since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Moscow and Kyiv have each handed over 390 individuals—including both soldiers and civilians—in a deal brokered last week during rare face-to-face talks in Istanbul.
Each side returned 270 servicemen and 120 civilians on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, as part of a broader agreement to swap a total of 1,000 prisoners. Both countries confirmed that more exchanges are expected in the coming days.
While previous swaps have occurred throughout the conflict, this is the first to involve such a high number of civilians. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that among the individuals returned were both military personnel and civilians, including those detained in Russia’s Kursk region during recent Ukrainian offensives. They are now on Belarusian territory awaiting medical checks and further transport to Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the exchange on social media, stating, “We are bringing our people home,” and stressing that authorities are “verifying every surname, every detail about each person.”
Home.
We must bring all our people back from Russian captivity.
🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/EpqdrjIheb
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 25, 2025
Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War noted that the released soldiers had fought in multiple key regions, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson. Three of the 390 released individuals were women, and some had been held captive since 2022.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump also weighed in, posting congratulations on Truth Social and suggesting the exchange “could lead to something big???”
Meanwhile, emotional scenes played out in northern Ukraine, where families of prisoners gathered in hope. Natalia, whose son Yelizar was captured during the battle for Severodonetsk three years ago, told the BBC she still believed he would return, though she didn’t know when. Another mother, Olha, said her life had stopped since her son Valerii was captured with five other soldiers in Luhansk two months ago. “They went missing in a village,” she said.
The breakthrough deal was reached during a two-hour meeting between low-level Russian and Ukrainian officials in Turkey—the first direct contact since March 2022. While the talks didn’t result in progress toward a ceasefire, they were seen as a rare sign of limited cooperation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a second round of talks would soon take place, during which Russia would present a “memorandum” to Ukraine. Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s position that Zelensky is no longer a legitimate leader, casting doubt on future negotiations. “First we need to have a deal,” he said, “then we will decide who in Ukraine has legitimacy.”
Trump previously claimed that Ukraine and Russia would “immediately” begin ceasefire negotiations following his two-hour call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Zelensky has accused Putin of using talks to buy time and prolong the conflict.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has voiced support for Trump’s proposal that the Vatican could mediate future talks, though Lavrov dismissed that idea as “not very realistic.”
As both sides prepare for further exchanges, the prisoner swap stands as a rare moment of coordination in an otherwise relentless and brutal war.
