Back from Russian captivity: Ukraine completes eighth prisoner exchange (photos, video)
Photo: The sides conducted the eighth prisoner exchange (t.me/mvs_ukraine)
Ukraine and Russia have conducted another prisoner exchange — the eighth one under the framework of the June agreements reached in Istanbul.
RBC-Ukraine highlights the key points of the new exchange.
"Our people are home. Most of them had been held in Russian captivity since 2022," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.
According to him, today's returnees include defenders who served in various regions: Donetsk and Mariupol, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Kherson. They are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service — as well as civilians.
At the same time, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets noted a key feature of this exchange.
"The uniqueness of this exchange lies in the return of defenders whom Russia had sentenced to long prison terms. The vast majority of those freed had been captured in 2022," he wrote.
Among the returnees are also soldiers who had previously been listed as missing in action. Some are officers.
"This exchange is the result of extensive efforts by state agencies within the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The process continues under the instruction of the President of Ukraine," Lubinets added.
The youngest freed defender is just 20 years old; the oldest is 59.
Among those released today are once again Mariupol defenders, many of whom had been held captive since 2022. The majority had spent over three years in captivity.
Seventh exchange round
The previous exchange took place on Thursday, June 26. It saw the return of service members from the Ukrainian Navy, Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, and Border Guard Service. As with prior rounds, the number of individuals freed was not disclosed.
Most had been in captivity for more than three years. They included privates, sergeants, and officers — including Mariupol defenders and those captured by Russian forces during the retreat from the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. That exchange involved young soldiers, seriously wounded individuals, and the sick, per categories outlined in the Istanbul agreements.
For more, see the RBC-Ukraine report From captivity to freedom: Inside the latest prisoner exchange (video)
In a comment to RBC-Ukraine, Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, emphasized that while this exchange was another step forward, it was not the last. He noted that ongoing challenges prevent the process from being completed fully.
This latest swap was the result of a June 2 meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul. At the time, it was reported that up to 1,200 prisoners from both sides could potentially be released.
Further negotiations are tied to humanitarian arrangements. Russia proposed a third round of talks in Istanbul after June 22, but no date has been confirmed due to the ongoing exchange process.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister and head of the delegation, Rustem Umerov, confirmed that negotiations will resume following the swaps. He also stressed that Kyiv will insist on a meaningful dialogue regarding a potential meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia.
