Russia, Ukraine swap prisoners on equal terms

On 14 June, Ukraine and Russia carried out another large-scale, parity-based exchange of prisoners of war. Both sides confirmed the development, with Russia’s Ministry of Defence announcing the return of a new group of Russian servicemen to their homeland.

This latest operation marks the fourth such exchange within the past week, following similar swaps on June 9, 10, and 11 though the exact number of prisoners exchanged in those rounds has not been disclosed, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

In parallel to the prisoner swaps, a significant body repatriation effort is also underway. Ukraine has confirmed the receipt of the remains of another 1,200 of its fallen soldiers from Russia, according to the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. This marks the third stage in the ongoing process of returning war dead. So far, over 3,600 bodies out of a total of 6,000 have been handed over to Ukraine.

A statement from the Ukrainian headquarters, published via its official Telegram channel, indicated that the 1,200 newly transferred remains are believed by the Russian side to belong to Ukrainian citizens, including members of the armed forces. Ukraine is expected to carry out full forensic examinations and identification procedures in the coming days.

The day before, on June 13, Ukraine received 1,200 more bodies, and prior to that, on June 11, 1,212 more were transferred. In contrast, Russia received only 27 bodies of its soldiers during this period.

These exchanges stem from an agreement reached during the second round of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations held in Istanbul on June 2. According to Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, Ukraine is to receive unilaterally the remains of 6,000 of its fallen. However, Ukrainian officials have described the arrangement as a mutual exchange of 6,000 for 6,000. Medinsky acknowledged that Ukraine may be holding some Russian bodies but stated that the number is "probably much, much fewer."

Medinsky also elaborated on the terms of the ongoing prisoner of war exchanges. Each side, he said, is expected to transfer at least 1,000 prisoners, focusing on vulnerable groups such as the wounded, seriously ill, and those under the age of 25. “We assume that this will probably be 1,200 people from each side,” Medinsky noted. “And this will again be the largest exchange of prisoners of war.”

By Tamilla Hasanova