Ten prisoners of war from each side were released in an exchange mediated by Belarus. Ukrainian officials and Belarusian state media announced that the exchange took place on Monday.
In a statement posted on his X account, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the development as a “special stage” in the ongoing prisoner exchanges. Zelenskyy said, “As part of a special exchange stage, we are bringing 10 of our soldiers back through Belarus. It is very important that we have managed to bring them back.”
Belarusian state media said Minsk had mediated the release of soldiers held in captivity. Russia’s Defense Ministry did not immediately confirm the exchange.
Ukrainian soldiers released
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said two of the released soldiers had been considered missing in the fighting since 2024, while eight had been considered missing since 2025.
The group included soldiers serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard, as well as sailors. The released soldiers had been fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Zelenskyy did not explain why he described the exchange as a “special stage.”
Background to previous exchanges
The development came less than a week after Russia and Ukraine each released 103 soldiers through mediation by the United Arab Emirates. Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Oleh Ivashchenko, had said at the time that they expected another exchange before the end of the month.
Russia and Ukraine have released hundreds of prisoners of war since the start of the year through mediation by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, the return of the remains of soldiers killed in the war and prisoner exchanges have been among the direct communication channels between Moscow and Kyiv.
