Ukraine and Russia on Friday began the largest prisoner of war exchange since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with around 1,000 individuals set to be returned over three days.
“We are bringing our people home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared on social media as the first group of freed soldiers crossed back into Ukraine. He shared several photos showing liberated Ukrainians, many wrapped in the national blue and yellow flag.
Zelenskyy confirmed that 390 individuals were part of the first phase of the swap, noting, “This agreement was reached at a meeting in Turkey,” and emphasizing the need for full implementation.
Ukrainian officials requested that the exact location of the handover not be revealed due to security concerns. With a large number of military personnel and civilians present, any gathering could become a potential target for attack.
This exchange is the sole agreement to come from last week’s negotiations in Istanbul—the first direct talks between the two countries over a ceasefire since the early months of the war.
Even before the official announcement, former President Trump claimed on social media that the exchange had already been completed.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the exchange included 270 soldiers and 120 civilians.
Zelenskyy’s office recently stated that over 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been captured by Russia since the 2022 invasion began. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman estimates more than 16,000 civilians are also in Russian captivity.
Among them is Volodymyr Mykolayenko, the former mayor of Kherson, who was detained by Russian forces in 2022. His niece, Hanna Korsun-Samchuk, shared her frustration: “I’ve been trying to raise the issue of civilian prisoners because there’s no easy procedure for exchanging them,” she told NPR during an interview in Kherson.
At the exchange site, dozens of families waited anxiously, clutching flags, posters, and photos of their loved ones. Many hoped their relatives would be among the freed.
Katya Kobel, from Chernihiv, was overcome with emotion while speaking about her husband, Hryhori, who has been held since December 2023. She learned of his capture in Donetsk through text messages from a Russian number that included photos of him.
“They told me, ‘We have captured your man,’” she said.
Natalia Apetyk is awaiting the return of her 23-year-old son, Yelizar, captured in 2022 while defending Ukraine’s eastern front.
“Today it is exactly three years since his last call, and tomorrow it will be three years since he disappeared,” she said.
Eighteen-year-old Milena Moroz held a photo of her father, Yevhen, taken prisoner earlier this year in eastern Ukraine. Her parents are divorced, so she didn’t see him often. Now, she’s waiting to finally say what she regrets not saying enough:
“I love you, Dad.”
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