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| Volodymyr Zelensky - Ukrainian President |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv is working on a deal to secure the release of 1,000 Ukrainians held captive in Russia. He said the agreement was reached during recent peace talks in Istanbul. In a May 21–22 briefing, Zelensky said *“the agreement to release 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only tangible result of the meeting in Türkiye. We are working to ensure that this result is achieved”*. He stressed that returning all our people from captivity is a top objective. Preparations are underway to verify every name on the lists exchanged by the two sides.
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| Ukrainian flag in close-up |
Zelensky said a high‐level meeting on May 22 coordinated the swap. He reported that Ukraine’s defense minister, Rustem Umerov, is overseeing the process, and that multiple agencies – including defense intelligence, the security service, foreign intelligence, the interior ministry, the human-rights ombudsman, and the presidential office – are involved. “We have to release all our people, unconditionally. We are trying to do the maximum we can,” he said, underscoring the urgency. Umerov has also signaled the swap could happen soon.
The 1,000-for-1,000 exchange was agreed on May 16 in Istanbul during the first Ukraine–Russia peace talks since 2022. Both sides met under Turkish mediation and agreed to free a thousand prisoners each. This would be one of the largest exchanges of the war, surpassing previous swaps. Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said, “In the coming days, there will be a massive thousand-for-thousand prisoner exchange,” noting it was a rare concrete outcome of the talks. Ukraine’s team also noted that discussions included a possible ceasefire and a potential meeting between Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, but no deal on peace or territory was reached.
Russia had sent a lower-level delegation to Istanbul, and Western mediators like Turkey and the United States pushed for progress. Medinsky quipped that “war and negotiations are always conducted at the same time,” echoing an old saying attributed to Napoleon. In Washington, the Trump administration, which brokered the talks, noted that a prisoner swap was achieved but warned a ceasefire still has steep conditions.
History of Ukraine–Russia Prisoner Exchanges
Prisoner swaps between Ukraine and Russian forces have happened many times during this conflict. Since the full-scale war began in 2022, Ukraine has conducted dozens of exchanges, bringing home thousands of its soldiers and civilians. One analysis reported that 54 exchanges had freed about 3,400 Ukrainians by mid-2024. For example, on January 3, 2024, the two sides swapped nearly 480 POWs – Ukraine got 230 back and Russia got 248 – in what was then the biggest exchange yet. Ukrainian officials said this was the 49th swap of the war. By September 2024, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman put the total at 3,672 returned Ukrainians in 57 exchanges.
These exchanges are vital to many Ukrainians. Lawfare Institute analyst Oksana Kuzan writes that POW swaps are of “particularly high salience” because soldiers’ lives affect many families and society as a whole. Indeed, released captives often bear brutal scars. One study noted many returnees had been tortured or abused – some lost 65–110 pounds in captivity and showed bruises or chronic illness. Ukrainian officials say thousands of children have also been deported, underscoring the grim stakes.
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| Soldier sits with head in hands. |
In Ukraine, past swaps have been emotionally powerful. For instance, in December 2019 President Zelensky greeted home civilians and soldiers freed by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. “The main thing is that the people are at home … I am happy, I think they are too,” Zelensky said of those releases. Even amid war, Ukrainian leaders have framed exchanges as results, not just promises. One news report noted that after early talks with Russia in 2019, Zelensky told reporters “we don’t just talk, we have results,” when captives were returned.
Releasing so many prisoners would be welcome news in Ukraine, but experts stress it’s only a first step. Analysts point out that a swap addresses humanitarian concerns but does not end the fighting. As one commentator noted, “a prisoner exchange is hardly a baby step to engender confidence,” since Russia’s deeper demands – like full Ukrainian withdrawal from occupied regions – remain unresolved.
Still, bringing soldiers home has major value. Humanitarian groups and diplomats note that freeing POWs boosts morale and saves lives. Ukraine’s own experts have said each swap is a matter of national focus. For example, analyst Kuzan argues that Ukraine has made prisoner releases a top priority on international stages, highlighting the issue at peace summits and even urging Russian soldiers to surrender to create more trade-off potential.
Ukrainian intelligence also sees bargaining power in recent events. The capture of hundreds of Russian soldiers in Ukraine’s 2024 incursions has given Kyiv more chips in negotiations. Officials hope it will help secure the return of their own POWs. As one analyst put it, each side is “pressing their advantage,” and swaps can only happen when both have something to gain.
At the same time, caution is high. Some experts warn Moscow may drag out the process or add conditions. A study by The Lawfare Institute warned that Russia has sometimes used prisoner swaps as leverage to destabilize Ukraine. In practical terms, this means Ukraine must verify every name carefully – a task Zelensky emphasized. In fact, by May 22 Ukraine was double-checking each individual on Russia’s list. Even Kremlin officials admit the swap will take work. Press secretary Dmitry Peskov called it a “quite laborious process” that will take time, though he said *“everybody is interested in doing it quickly.”*
Geopolitical Implications
The swap deal also ties into broader war politics. For Ukraine and its Western allies, it shows a rare point of agreement in otherwise stalled talks. Washington and European capitals had been urging both sides to consider ceasefires and negotiations. A brief halt in fighting and talks took place in May 2025 under international pressure. That is how Ukraine and Russia managed to meet face-to-face in Istanbul.
However, the failed ceasefire discussions highlight the deal’s limits. Russia has firmly rejected a permanent truce. President Putin has insisted any ceasefire must include Ukraine giving up territories it currently holds. That demand – to pull back from Crimea and large parts of the east – is beyond what Kyiv or its allies will consider. Thus, the prisoner exchange is unlikely by itself to lead to peace. As one news analysis noted, Kyiv came to Istanbul seeking “an unconditional ceasefire,” but walked away with only the swap deal.
In practice, any swap will need help from outside parties. In past exchanges, neutral mediators have played key roles. For example, the UAE has helped broker multiple Ukraine-Russia swaps in 2023–2024. It is possible other nations will assist moving the prisoners safely. The U.S. and Turkey also remain engaged. U.S. officials have pushed both sides to follow through, and President Trump (who arranged the talks) celebrated the swap as progress. On May 20 he tweeted that “both sides have agreed to the first direct talks in three years,” calling it “an important step forward.”
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| Officials meet to discuss agreements. |
International reaction has been mixed. Allies of Ukraine praised the effort to reunite families. But critics caution this alone won’t stop Russia’s offensive. In Ukraine’s government, the reaction is hopeful but wary. Officials say they will continue fighting on the front lines and seek more support from partners, even as they push for every captive to come home.
If the swap goes ahead, logistics will be daunting. Thousands of names must be verified, transport arranged, and security ensured. Both sides have to free the specified prisoners simultaneously. Russian officials note the deal is complex and “requires some time.” Nevertheless, Zelensky has instructed his teams to move fast. He thanked the various agencies handling the exchange and expressed gratitude to everyone contributing to this effort.
Ukraine’s negotiators say they are ready to swap hundreds of detained Russian soldiers in return, though details are secret. In past swaps, some non-combatants (like civilians or even suspected war criminals) have caused domestic controversy, so Kyiv must choose carefully. Zelensky’s focus is simply on doing “the maximum we can” to bring people home.
Geopolitically, a successful swap could ease some international pressure. For Ukraine, freeing people can help maintain public morale. For Russia, it helps defuse domestic criticism over POWs. However, neither side expects a full ceasefire. Russian sources reiterate that any broader deal remains tied to major political demands. The talks in Istanbul have not led to new negotiations schedules, and Moscow has not set a date for any follow-up. As of late May 2025, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said no new direct peace talks were planned.
In summary, Ukraine has confirmed that it is actively pursuing a massive prisoner exchange with Russia. This deal – if completed – would reunite around 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians with their families. It comes with high hopes but also high caution. Past exchanges have shown both the promise of diplomacy and the pitfalls of Kremlin tactics. For now, Ukraine is pushing ahead, and its leader says the project is “perhaps the only real result” from these talks. How quickly it can be implemented and what it leads to next remains to be seen.