Russia, Ukraine exchange 185 prisoners each in latest swap

Russia and Ukraine have carried out a prisoner exchange involving 185 detainees from each side, the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

“Returned Russian servicemen are currently on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are being assisted by Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova,” the ministry said.

According to the statement, the released personnel are receiving psychological and medical support before being transferred to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation at the Defence Ministry's medical facilities.

The exchange was facilitated through humanitarian mediation by the United Arab Emirates, which has played a recurring role in such operations.

The latest swap follows a series of recent exchanges between the two sides. On May 15, 2026, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners each, also with UAE mediation. Prior to that, on April 24, the sides conducted a “193 for 193” exchange with the involvement of both the UAE and the United States. Another swap, involving 175 detainees on each side, took place ahead of Easter in April.

Efforts to expand the scale of exchanges have also been under discussion. In early May, US President Donald Trump announced a proposed “1000 for 1000” prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, linked to a ceasefire declared for Victory Day. He said he had personally requested the arrangement, which Russia supported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed at the time that Kyiv was ready to proceed with such an exchange. On May 9, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides were actively working on compiling prisoner lists.

By Tamilla Hasanova