Ukraine frees 300+ more prisoners: Inside the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange (photos, video)
Photo: Ukraine and Russia exchanged 1,000-for-1,000 (t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
Ukraine and the Russian Federation have conducted the third stage of the prisoner exchange under the 1,000-for-1,000 format. Today, more than 300 people were returned. RBC-Ukraine provides details of the final stage.
"303 Ukrainian defenders are home. The third part of the '1,000 for 1,000' exchange, agreed upon in Turkey, has been completed," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Photo: Ukraine returned more than 300 prisoners (t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
This time, among the released soldiers were members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the Navy, Air Force, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, as well as the National Guard of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service.
The Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner of War Affairs clarified that all 303 defenders released today are men, representing the ranks of enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers.
They defended Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions, as well as in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, and in the Kherson, Sumy, and Chernihiv oblasts.
Also today, 70 defenders of Mariupol are returning home.
Since March 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has secured the release of 5,757 Ukrainian citizens. Another 536 Ukrainians have been returned outside of prisoner exchanges.
Photo: Ukraine and Russia complete “1,000-for-1,000” exchange (t.me/Koord_shtab)
How the first stage of the "1,000-for-1,000" exchange went
The first stage took place on Friday, May 23. Ukraine returned 390 people — 270 military personnel and 120 civilians. Among the former prisoners of war were soldiers from various branches who fought on the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and other fronts. Some had been held captive for more than three years.
According to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the lists were formed based on one criterion: to save lives. Read more about what happened on Friday in the article "Our people are home": Exclusive report from the largest prisoner swap (photos, videos).
On May 23, in addition to Russian prisoners of war, Ukraine released at least 70 collaborators. The Russian side freed civilian hostages in exchange.
Who was returned in the second stage of the "1,000-for-1,000" exchange
On Saturday, May 24, another 307 Ukrainian defenders returned home. Among them were fighters from the Air Assault Forces, Drone Forces, Navy, Territorial Defense Forces, border guards, and national guardsmen. The youngest was 25, the oldest 61. Some were wounded or ill.
For the first time, prisoners from specific units and military formations were released. Reports also confirmed the release of 27 defenders of Mariupol.
It is worth recalling that on the first day, US President Donald Trump announced the exchange before the procedure even began. According to Politico, citing sources in the Ukrainian government, Trump simply wanted to be the first to report it, and fortunately, his premature social media post did not disrupt the exchange.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the "1,000-for-1,000" exchange a step that could strengthen trust between Ukraine and Russia and initiate a peace process.
