President Donald Trump on Friday announced what he described as a “major” prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine—the largest such swap since the war began over three years ago.
According to a deal reached in Istanbul last week, both Kyiv and Moscow are expected to exchange 1,000 prisoners each. However, a senior source familiar with the matter told AFP that the exchange had not yet taken place, despite Trump’s claim on Truth Social that the swap was “completed.”
“The process is ongoing and the exchange itself has not yet taken place,” the official clarified, noting that such operations are typically kept secret until concluded.
Trump suggested the move might mark a turning point in the conflict, posting: “This could lead to something big???”
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, numerous prisoner exchanges have taken place, but none as extensive as this proposed deal. After 39 months of warfare, thousands of prisoners of war (POWs) remain in captivity on both sides.
Russia is believed to hold a larger number of Ukrainian POWs—estimated between 8,000 and 10,000. Both sides have accused each other of violating the Geneva Convention regarding the treatment of POWs. The UN has reported widespread torture and abuse of detainees from both countries.
In addition to military captives, Russia is suspected of having detained Ukrainian civilians during its occupation of various towns. One high-profile case includes journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, whose body was returned by Moscow earlier this year after she died in captivity.
Some Ukrainian detainees who faced trial in Russia have testified about torture and abuse in detention. Others were thought to be dead until they were unexpectedly returned in swaps.
Artur Dobroserdov, Ukraine’s Commissioner for Missing Persons, stated last month that over 60,000 people remain missing, with around 10,000 confirmed to be in captivity. A Ukrainian official told AFP that many returned individuals were previously considered dead or missing. “Almost every exchange includes people no one had knowledge about,” the official said.
A large number of Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity were captured during the 2022 siege of Mariupol. Russia also continues to hold prisoners from as far back as its 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Ukraine, meanwhile, holds a smaller number of Russian POWs. President Volodymyr Zelensky has encouraged Ukrainian forces to capture Russian soldiers to strengthen Kyiv’s “exchange fund.” During a 2024 incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine reportedly captured hundreds of Russian troops, as well as North Korean soldiers allegedly fighting for Russia.
Additionally, Ukraine has imprisoned individuals accused of collaborating with Russian forces—some of whom may be included in future exchanges. Last year, a Ukrainian Orthodox priest jailed for supporting Russia’s actions was exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners.
Russia recently reported that some of its civilians from the Kursk region remain in Ukraine’s Sumy region. Until the recent negotiations in Turkey, communication between the two countries had been limited to discussions about prisoner swaps, body returns, and the repatriation of Ukrainian children taken into Russia.
