Part of 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange: Ukraine returns 70 collaborators to Russia
Part of 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange: Ukraine returns 70 collaborators to Russia (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
On May 23, as part of the 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange, Ukraine transferred 70 individuals accused of collaboration to the Russian side, according to the Telegram project Khochu k svoim.
According to reports, under the framework of the Khochu k svoim (Russian for "I want to go home") project — implemented by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War with support from Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, the Security Service, and the Commissioner for Human Rights of Ukraine's Parliament – Verkhovna Rada — 70 individuals accused of collaboration were transferred to Russia, in parallel with the return of dozens of Ukrainian civilian hostages who had been illegally held by Russian authorities for years.
Profiles of 31 collaborators who left Ukrainian territory today are now marked as 'Departed' on the official website of the Khochu k svoim project.
Ukraine ready to exchange collaborators
Recently, the Khochu k svoim project reported that Ukraine was prepared to exchange collaborators on the condition that Ukrainian citizens held in Russian captivity would be returned. However, Moscow had been slow to act. As of May 22, 2025, only one collaborator had been transferred to Russia.
Today, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is replenishing its prisoner exchange fund not only with captured Russian soldiers, but also with collaborators and saboteurs.
