Ukraine-Russia prisoner swap: Soldiers and civilians freed on Independence Day
On Ukraine’s Independence Day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a further prisoner swap with Russia, which saw a group of soldiers and civilians return home. Most of them had been held captive since 2022.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said 146 prisoners of war were part of the exchange.
The exchange is the latest in a series of swaps conducted in recent weeks, in line with an agreement reached between Kyiv and Moscow during the second round of peace talks in Istanbul on 2 June.
“Exchanges are continuing,” Mr Zelenskyy said. “And this is possible thanks to our warriors, who replenish the exchange fund for Ukraine, our team, which works daily, and our partners who help. We thank everyone whose work makes it possible for our people to return.”
The Coordinating Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the group included eight civilians, including Ukrainian journalists Dmytro Khyliuk and Mark Kaliush, and former Kherson Mayor Volodymyr Mykolaienko.
The released soldiers also included representatives from nearly all of Ukraine's defence forces, including the Air Assault Forces, Air Force, Navy, Territorial Defence, National Guard and State Border Guard Service.
Among the civilians was medic Serhiy Kovalov, who saved the lives of both defenders and civilians during the 2022 siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
The previous prisoner swap on 14 August secured the return of 84 Ukrainians, a day before then-US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. A few days later, Mr Trump met Mr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House.
Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia earlier this year failed to make a breakthrough in ending hostilities, but did result in new agreements on prisoner exchanges.
Mr Zelenskyy announced at the start of the month that Ukraine and Russia were preparing to exchange 1,200 prisoners of war, as agreed during the third round of peace talks in Istanbul on 23 July.
The president also said in late July that Kyiv had secured the release of more than 6,400 Ukrainians from Russian captivity since 2022; 5,857 of them were released through prisoner exchanges.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
