Ukraine, Russia swap hundreds more POWs

DWMay 24, 2025

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The swap comes a day after 390 POWs were released from each side

UKRAINE: RUSSIA and Ukraine on Saturday said another 307 prisoners of war (POW’S)had been swapped in the second day of the largest exchange since the start of the war

On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Defense Ministry said they had each handed over 390 POWs.

Prisoner exchange follows drone attack on Kyiv

The news came hours after Kyiv came under a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack on Saturday morning that left at least 15 people injured, according to local officials.

Explosions and anti-aircraft fire were heard throughout Kyiv as many sought shelters in subway stations.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko took to Telegram, explaining fragments from one drone hit the top floor of an apartment block in the Solomyanskyi district of the Ukrainian capital, with at least two requiring hospital treatment.

One thousand prisoners of war to be released

Saturday’s early morning attack has come just hours after Zelenskyy announced the return of 390 prisoners of war to Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry added each side released 270 soldiers and 120 civilians.

The prisoner swap is the first stage of the “1000-for-1000” exchange agreement reached during the Russian Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, Zelenskyy wrote on X.

After more than three years of fighting, both countries are holding thousands of prisoners of war. Russia is believed to hold the larger share, with an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Ukrainian captives.