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Ukraine has begun a large prisoner exchange with Russia as part of a deal reached during recent peace talks in Istanbul, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on June 9.
"Ukrainians are coming home from Russian captivity," Zelensky said in a statement. "Today the exchange began and will continue in several stages over the coming days. Among those being returned now are wounded and severely wounded prisoners, as well as those under 25."
The swap marks the first stage of the agreement negotiated at the second round of direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on June 2.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said the first group of released prisoners includes personnel from Ukraine's Navy, Ground Forces, Air Force, National Guard, Border Guard Service, Territorial Defense, and State Special Transport Service.
Among those freed are defenders of Mariupol who had spent more than three years in captivity. All those returned in this stage are enlisted and noncommissioned soldiers, officials said.
"Most of those returned were captured in the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022,” Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.
Lubinets said his office monitored the exchange on the ground to ensure respect for human rights under the Geneva Convention and helped freed Ukrainians contact their families.
"We warmly welcome all who can now breathe the air of their homeland after years of captivity," Lubinets said. "Our team shares in the joy of the families who received that precious and long-awaited call."
The ongoing exchange covers specific categories — soldiers under 25, the severely wounded, and seriously ill prisoners — and Ukraine continues to work to repatriate the bodies of fallen servicemembers, according to the General Staff.
Ukrainian officials did not disclose the total number of POWs freed on June 9, citing security reasons. Ahead of the exchange, Zelensky had said Ukraine aimed to bring home 500 prisoners in the June 7-8 swap, which ultimately did not take place as scheduled.
June 9 swap comes after Kyiv denied Russian claims that it had delayed the planned June 7-8 exchange. Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky had accused Ukraine of postponing the swap indefinitely. Ukrainian officials dismissed this as disinformation.
"Unfortunately, the Ukrainian side is once again facing (Russian) attempts to retroactively revise agreements. If the Russian side is now backing away from what was promised in Istanbul, it raises serious questions about the reliability and capability of their negotiating team," Ukraine's Defense Ministry wrote on Telegram.
In his June 8 address, Zelensky accused Russia of playing a "dirty political and information game" and reiterated that Kyiv had not received a full list of POWs from Moscow, as negotiated in Istanbul.
Since March 2022, Ukraine has brought home more than 5,000 prisoners through exchanges. Kyiv continues to press Russia to agree to an "all-for-all" swap — a proposal Moscow has so far rejected.
The Istanbul talks, hosted by Turkish officials, resulted in the largest planned prisoner exchange of the war, though broader progress toward a peace deal remains elusive.
Martin Fornusek
