Ukraine and Russia commence new prisoner of war exchange

Published connected 09/06/2025 - 16:37 GMT+2•Updated 16:39

Ukraine and Russia person started a caller captive of warfare exchange, pursuing nan statement reached astatine nan 2nd information of nonstop talks successful Istanbul past Monday.

"Ukrainians are coming location from Russian captivity," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement.

"Today nan speech began and will proceed successful respective stages complete nan coming days. Among those being returned now are wounded and severely wounded prisoners, arsenic good arsenic those nether 25," Zelenskyy added.

Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed nan return of nan first group of Russian POWs arsenic well, without providing specifications connected nan swapped soldiers.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for nan Treatment of Prisoners of War said that nan first group of released prisoners includes unit from Ukraine's navy, crushed forces, aerial force, nationalist guard, separator defender service, territorial defence, and typical carrier service.

Among those returned connected Monday are nan defenders of Mariupol, who person spent complete 3 years successful Russian captivity.

"Most of those returned were captured successful nan first days of Russia's full-scale penetration successful 2022," Ukraine’s ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.

"We warmly invited each who tin now respire nan aerial of their homeland aft years of captivity," Lubinets added. "Our squad shares successful nan joyousness of nan families who received that precious and long-awaited call."

Kyiv didn’t disclose nan full number of POWs returned connected Monday, citing information reasons.

A fewer days ago, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine wanted to bring location 500 prisoners successful nan POW switch connected Saturday and Sunday, which yet did not return place.

Returning nan bodies of fallen soldiers

Kyiv and Moscow agreed that nan speech would see young soldiers nether 25 years old, nan severely wounded and nan earnestly ill. The sides person besides agreed to speech nan bodies of nan fallen servicepeople.

On Sunday, Russia accused Ukraine of postponing nan switch and failing to respect nan agreement.

Moscow said that nan trains carrying nan bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were owed to depart towards nan Ukrainian border, accusing Kyiv of "not collecting them".

Russia’s Lieutenant General Aleksandr Zorin told nan state-run TASS news agency nan transportation of “more than 6,000 (Ukrainian) bodies” had been agreed during nan talks successful Turkey.

Kyiv categorically denied nan accusations. Kyrylo Budanov, nan caput of Ukrainian Defenсe Intelligence, said that Ukraine was strictly adhering to nan agreements reached astatine nan 2nd information of talks successful Istanbul.

Budanov stated that nan commencement of "repatriation measures" was scheduled to return spot adjacent week, which he claims nan Russian broadside informed him of a fewer days ago.

In his Sunday address, Zelenskyy accused Russia of "playing a soiled governmental and accusation game" connected nan agreed POW exchange.

Kyiv says it has brought backmost complete 5,000 prisoners of warfare successful a bid of exchanges since March.

Ukraine continues to connection Russia an "all-for-all" switch — a connection Moscow has truthful acold rejected.