Russia, Ukraine Exchange 175 Prisoners Of War Each

Russia and Ukraine carried out a major prisoner-of-war exchange on Saturday, with each side releasing 175 servicemen in a rare display of cooperation amid the ongoing conflict.

The swap was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates and comes just ahead of a temporary 32-hour ceasefire agreed for Orthodox Easter.

Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed the exchange, stating that 175 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv. In return, 175 prisoners of war from the Ukrainian armed forces were handed over to Ukraine.

The ministry described the operation as a humanitarian effort, with the United Arab Emirates playing a key mediating role.

“On April 11, 175 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime. In exchange, 175 prisoners of war from the Ukrainian armed forces were handed over,” the statement read, posted on Kremlin-backed channels.

In addition to the military personnel, Russia returned seven Russian civilians who had been detained during Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova noted that these were believed to be the last remaining Kursk residents held in Ukrainian captivity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the successful return of 175 Ukrainian servicemen along with seven civilians.

Among those freed are defenders who fought in high-profile battles, including the defence of Mariupol, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and various fronts such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kyiv oblasts, as well as in Russia’s Kursk region. Zelenskyy added that some of the returnees are wounded, and many had been held since 2022.

The freed Russian servicemen were transported to Belarus, where they are receiving initial medical checks and psychological support before being moved to Russian facilities for further rehabilitation.

This exchange is one of the few ongoing humanitarian initiatives between the two sides, even as intense fighting continues on multiple fronts.

It occurs as both countries have agreed to observe a 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter, set to begin at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday, April 11, and last until the end of Sunday, April 12.

The truce was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by Zelenskyy, who stated that Ukraine would honour the pause.

The UAE has played an increasingly prominent role in facilitating such swaps in recent months, contributing to the release of thousands of captives overall through humanitarian mediation efforts.

Analysts see the exchange as a positive step that could help build momentum for broader negotiations, though deep divisions remain over territorial issues and long-term peace terms.