Russia and Ukraine on Thursday carried out another significant prisoner exchange, with each side releasing 84 individuals, continuing a series of swaps that has already seen hundreds of prisoners of war freed this year.
The latest exchange took place just a day before a planned high-level meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.
“I’m back in my homeland. Honestly, I never thought this would happen,” said 29-year-old marine Mykyta Kaliberda, one of the released prisoners, speaking to AFP.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on social media that the exchange included “both military personnel and civilians,” noting that some had been “held by the Russians since 2014, 2016, and 2017.” He also revealed that “defenders of Mariupol” were among those freed, referring to the Ukrainian port city that fell to Russian forces in 2022 after a nearly three-month siege.
Tetiana Turkoman, the mother of a soldier who fought in Mariupol, expressed deep relief and gratitude, saying, “My eldest son was in captivity for three years, four months, and two days. Thank God, we awaited him.” She added that she had a strong “feeling” her son would be freed and decided to attend the exchange.
Anastasia, the wife of another captive, recounted the emotional strain of attending multiple exchanges, hoping each time to see her husband. “I don’t know how many times I’ve been to the exchanges, hoping that my husband will be there. Artur! Artur Ivanik! My God!” she cried out, anticipating his return home on Thursday.
According to the Russian defence ministry, the United Arab Emirates acted as a mediator for the exchange. It stated that the returned Russian personnel were receiving “psychological and medical assistance.”
These large-scale prisoner swaps have been the only concrete achievement of three rounds of peace talks held between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul from May to July. In their most recent discussions last month, both countries agreed to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war each. A Russian negotiator also disclosed that Moscow had offered to transfer the remains of 3,000 deceased soldiers to Kyiv.
What you should know
This latest swap between Russia and Ukraine marks another step in ongoing humanitarian efforts amid the war, with emotional reunions for families and mediation by the UAE.
It also comes just before a critical diplomatic meeting between Putin and Trump, highlighting the continued intersection of conflict resolution and high-level international politics.
