May 23, 2025, 5:23 p.m.
On May 23, the first stage of a major prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place.
A total of 390 Ukrainians, including 270 military personnel and 120 civilians, returned to their homes. The exchange is conducted in a 1000-for-1000 format and will last for three days.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the implementation of the first part of the agreements and expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the return of Ukrainians. The Coordination Headquarters reported that among the liberated are defenders of the Kherson region, as well as soldiers who fought in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, and in the battles in the north of the country.
Among the released prisoners are three women and 387 men. Work on the next stages of the exchange continues.
Ірина Глухова
March 30, 2026
OSCE condemns Russian attack on Suspilne Odesa office