Zelenskyy: Ukraine preparing new prisoner exchanges with Russia

Ukraine is preparing for further prisoner exchanges with the Russian Federation, following notable progress made in the spring and summer months.

According to the Ukrainian press, citing a statement published on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's official Telegram channel, the president received reports on both the exchanges that have already taken place and those currently being prepared.

"I have heard reports on the stages of prisoner exchanges that have been carried out and those that are being prepared. We are expecting several stages of exchanges, the implementation of the agreements of the second meeting in Istanbul, and we are continuing our other activities to free our people, both military and civilian," Zelenskyy said.

The president noted that Ukraine has succeeded in significantly stepping up prisoner exchange efforts with Russia in recent months. Among those released have been individuals previously listed as “missing in action,” as well as those held in Russian prisons and detention camps before the start of the full-scale invasion.

Prisoner swaps between Ukraine and Russia remain one of the few active humanitarian mechanisms maintained despite the ongoing war. Since the beginning of this year, such exchanges have become more frequent and have taken place on a larger scale.

Notably, during the first round of talks in Istanbul on May 16, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators reached a landmark agreement for a large-scale exchange in a “1,000 for 1,000” format. The operation was carried out in three stages between May 23 and May 25.

By Tamilla Hasanova