The Moscow Times
@MoscowTimesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “most” of the returned Ukrainian service members had been in Russian captivity since 2022.
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Ukraine and Russia Conduct Multiple Prisoner Exchanges Since June 2025 Under Istanbul Deal, Hundreds Returned Including Civilians and Russian Soldiers
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Ukraine and Russia have conducted multiple prisoner of war (POW) exchanges since June 2025, with the most recent occurring in early July under the framework of agreements reached in Istanbul. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that these exchanges have included hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers from the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and State Transport Service, as well as civilians. Most of the returned prisoners had been held in Russian captivity since 2022. The exchanged individuals include defenders from key conflict regions such as Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Kherson, and Kyiv.
The exchanges are part of ongoing efforts to repatriate Ukrainian captives, with eight stages of major exchanges completed since the beginning of June 2025. The Russian Ministry of Defense also confirmed the return of Russian soldiers from territories controlled by Kyiv in these swaps. Zelensky emphasized the importance of continuing these exchanges to free all Ukrainians held in captivity.
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