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Istanbul Agreement, Ukraine and Russia exchange 800 prisoners

Politiko 2025-05-23 17:54:20

Istanbul Agreement, Ukraine and Russia exchange 800 prisoners

Russia and Ukraine have begun the largest prisoner swap since the start of Russia's full-scale occupation, swapping hundreds of soldiers and civilians in a process expected to continue through the weekend, officials from both countries said Friday.

"We are returning our people home. The first part of the 1,000-for-1,000 deal has been implemented,"   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.

Zelensky said that 390 people from each side have been exchanged and that the exchange is expected to continue on May 24 and 25. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, this number included 270 prisoners of war and 120 civilians.

The Russian ministry said the 120 Russians returning to Russia include residents of the Kursk region, which Ukraine had occupied last August.

The exchange of 1,000 people from each side would constitute the largest prisoner swap since the beginning of Russia's full-scale occupation of Ukraine. Previous exchanges have not brought any visible progress towards ending the war.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump declared that Ukraine and Russia had just completed a major prisoner exchange.

"A major prisoner exchange has just been completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect soon ," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday.

On Thursday, Zelensky said the agreement on a "1,000 for 1,000" prisoner swap was "probably the only real result" of a 90-minute meeting in Istanbul on May 16.

It was the first direct peace meeting between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Zelensky said the sides had exchanged lists of prisoners who could be included in the deal. Russia has rejected calls from Ukraine, the United States and European countries for a 30-day ceasefire, and no new meeting has been scheduled.

Russia and Ukraine have carried out several prisoner exchanges since the start of the occupation./REL

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