The next stage of a large prisoner exchange with Russia has taken place

The next stage of the large exchange of prisoners in the category of "wounded and seriously ill" in accordance with the agreements in Istanbul took place on June 14.

According to the press service of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the Airborne Forces, the Navy, the Theater of Operations, as well as the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard of Ukraine, and the State Special Transport Service, returned.

The vast majority of the released defenders had been in captivity since 2022. Many of them were captured during the defense of Mariupol. Most of the liberated defenders are officers. Also, some of the liberated are under 25 years old.

In general, Ukrainians who fought in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy and Kursk sectors are returning home.

Earlier, the human rights organization Prisoners' Defense of Ukraine said that the Russian Federation had included prisoners from Kherson and Mykolaiv regions in a large-scale prisoner exchange that took place from May 23 to 25. According to the organization, each side handed over 1,000 people: 880 military and 120 civilians. Also among those released are about 50 Ukrainians who were held in Russian prisons on various charges. Upon completion of their sentences, they were not deported, as provided by law, but were left in temporary detention centers for migrants.

Another rally in support of the prisoners and to remind them of the missing persons, which has become a tradition and takes place weekly, was held in Odesa on May 25. The organizer of the FreeAzov movement, Anna Pazhera, emphasized that not a single soldier of the Azov regiment was returned home in the last exchange.

On May 25, the final stage of the large exchange of prisoners in the thousand-for-thousand format took place - 303 prisoners returned to Ukraine.

On May 24, the second stage of a large prisoner exchange with the Russian Federation in the 1000-for-1000 format took place, and 307 defenders returned to Ukraine.

On May 23, the first stage of a large prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place. The exchange is conducted in a 1000-for-1000 format and will last three days. Then 307 prisoners returned - 270 military and 120 civilians.

On May 16, 2025, the first negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia in three years took place in Istanbul. As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to exchange prisoners in the "1000 for 1000" format.

Кирило Бойко