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Russia and Ukraine concluded Sunday the third and final round of a comprehensive prisoner swap involving hundreds of military personnel, marking the completion of an agreement brokered in Istanbul earlier this month.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that 303 Ukrainian servicemen were returned in exchange for 303 Russian soldiers.
The released Russian personnel are currently in Belarus receiving psychological and medical care before returning to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation, according to the ministry statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the exchange on the social media platform X, expressing gratitude to the team that "worked around the clock to successfully carry out this exchange."
"We will definitely bring every single one of our people back from Russian captivity," Zelenskyy stated.
The prisoner swap represents the culmination of an agreement reached during direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on May 16—the first such talks between the warring parties in three years.
Türkiye facilitated these discussions, which resulted in commitments for a large-scale exchange involving 1,000 prisoners from each side and ongoing negotiations toward a potential cease-fire.
The Istanbul agreement has now been fully implemented through three separate exchanges conducted over recent days. The first swap involved 390 prisoners from each side, followed by an exchange of 307 individuals, with Sunday's operation completing the agreed-upon transfers.
The prisoner exchanges occur against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict that began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Previous prisoner swaps between the two nations have typically involved smaller numbers and were arranged through various intermediaries.
Türkiye's role as mediator reflects its unique position maintaining diplomatic relations with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the conflict, despite being a NATO member that has provided military support to Ukraine.
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