In a historic humanitarian move, Russia and Ukraine completed their largest prisoner exchange since the onset of the war in 2022. On Sunday, both nations swapped 303 prisoners each, bringing the total exchanged in this deal to 606. This landmark development follows high-level negotiations held on May 16 in Istanbul, where both sides consented to release 1,000 prisoners each in phases. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that its returning soldiers are being treated for medical and psychological needs in Belarus.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to social media to announce that the released individuals included personnel from the Armed Forces, National Guard, Border Guard, and Transport Service. He praised the resilience of the returned servicemen and reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to securing the freedom of all those detained during the ongoing conflict. The exchange is being seen as a positive gesture amid a war that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions.

This weekend marked an intense series of prisoner swaps. On Friday, both countries released a total of 390 people — 270 soldiers and 120 civilians. Saturday saw another 307-for-307 exchange of military personnel. With these successive exchanges, the cumulative count of prisoner swaps since 2022 has reached 65, six of which have occurred this year alone. International observers have welcomed the recent momentum, hoping it could pave the way for broader diplomatic progress.