390 Ukrainians back home from Russian captivity, more to be freed tomorrow – Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
A large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, in a 1,000-for-1,000 format, has begun. Today, 390 military personnel and civilians returned from captivity, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.
"What matters most today is that the exchange took place. This is the first stage of the largest prisoner swap agreed upon in Türkiye," the President emphasized. "In fact, it's the only meaningful outcome of the meeting in Türkiye — the Russians are blocking everything else. For now, they're blocking it."
"We will definitely bring everyone back. Every one of our citizens, every Ukrainian soldier and civilian, all Ukrainian hostages held in Russia — we must free them all," he added.
At the same time, the President noted that nearly 400 people were returned today — specifically, 390.
"These include both military personnel and civilians. Tomorrow and the day after — more stages will follow. The formula is one thousand for one thousand," Zelenskyy said.
He also expressed gratitude to the entire team involved in making the exchange possible.
"And of course, I thank all our soldiers on the front line who contribute to strengthening Ukraine's exchange fund. I also want to thank our law enforcement officers for adding Russian saboteurs and collaborators to that fund. It's important that Ukraine is bringing its people back. Thank you to everyone around the world who is helping us," the President stated.
Prisoner exchange in 1,000-for-1,000 format
On May 16, Ukrainian and Russian delegations met in Istanbul for the first time in more than three years. During the negotiations, both sides agreed to a prisoner exchange under the 1,000-for-1,000 formula.
Following the agreement, preparations intensified. Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR), announced the beginning of the list compilation process, while the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported that the Joint Center for Prisoner Release Coordination had launched preparatory measures.
Preparations also included infrastructure setup, designated locations, and the deployment of medical personnel to receive, accompany, and rehabilitate returning Ukrainian servicemembers.
The previous prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place on May 6, 2025, when 205 servicemen returned home — including 3 officers and 202 enlisted soldiers and sergeants.
