Ukraine and Russia have started their largest prisoner exchange since the war began in 2022. Nearly 800 captives will return home over the next few days.
First Phase Underway
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the first phase of the swap. He confirmed that Ukraine had returned 390 individuals to Russia. He also mentioned that "the process of prisoner swap would continue over the weekend."
Meanwhile, Russia said it received 270 soldiers and 120 civilians, including some people from its Kursk region who had been held by Ukraine for months.
Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of the deal by saying that "the agreement on the release of 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was almost the only real result of the [direct talks between Russia and Ukraine a week ago in] Turkey." He added that "it’s very important to bring everyone home."
Emotional Homecomings
As soon as the freed Ukrainian soldiers stepped off the buses, their families rushed to hug them. Some people held up photos of missing loved ones, hoping for news. Many soldiers wore bright yellow and blue Ukrainian flags, showing their national pride.
Trump Hints at Peace
Reacting to the exchange, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated both sides. He said, "This could lead to something big???", hinting that the swap might help revive peace talks.
Thousands Still in Captivity
So far, the war has lasted more than 39 months. Both countries continue to hold prisoners. However, estimates suggest that Russia holds a larger number, with 8,000 to 10,000 Ukrainian captives still in Russian prisons.
Peace Talks May Restart
Although earlier peace talks in Turkey stalled, both sides now show signs of moving forward. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "Moscow is ready to hand Ukraine a draft document outlining conditions for a long-term peace accord", but only after the prisoner swap ends.
However, Lavrov also accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks on Russian territory. He claimed that "waves of drone attacks over several days" caused casualties and disrupted flights.
💬 Russia's FM Sergey #Lavrov: The Ukrainian side launched a record number of combat drones.
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) May 23, 2025
❗️We are witnessing a clear attempt to derail peace talks and disrupt the process that began in Istanbul.
We will continue working on that despite provocations.https://t.co/RMfcWKrP4Y pic.twitter.com/eYcq18wWIA
According to Lavrov, European countries played a role in this. He argued that they pushed Kyiv to attack and disrupt peace efforts. He claimed that "the surge of Ukrainian drone attacks – some 800 sent against Russian targets over the last three days – was a direct consequence" of EU support. He also pointed out that European Union leaders had recently visited Kyiv, which may have influenced Ukraine’s actions.