Ukraine, Russia carry out another exchange of POWs under Istanbul deal
Ukraine has brought home another group of service members from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on June 12, saying the latest exchange focused on "severely wounded and seriously ill warriors."
The prisoners of war (POWs) were released as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia agreed upon during recent peace talks in Istanbul, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the POWs said.
Some of the POWs had been held by Russia for more than three years, according to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters. Many of the released defenders had been classified as missing in action.
"This is part of a major exchange that continues in phases," the headquarters said in a statement. "These soldiers require urgent medical care and will receive full assistance, including psychological rehabilitation and financial compensation for their time in captivity."
Troops from multiple Ukrainian military branches were freed in the exchange, including the Armed Forces, Air Assault Forces, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service. Many had served in combat operations across Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
June 12 release follows a similar exchange on June 10, which concluded the second stage of the Istanbul agreement. That phase also prioritized injured personnel.
The previous swap focused on personnel with severe injuries and illnesses, including amputations, vision loss, shrapnel wounds, and chronic conditions like hepatitis and tuberculosis. Among the returnees are defenders of Mariupol, captured during the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Istanbul deal was reached during a second round of direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations on June 2. While no political breakthrough was achieved, both sides agreed to a phased exchange of prisoners and the repatriation of fallen soldiers' remains.
As part of that agreement, Russia pledged to return the bodies of up to 6,000 Ukrainian service members.
Ukraine has brought back the bodies of 1,212 fallen service members on June 11. Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed Ukraine released the remains of 27 Russian service members, while Kyiv did not confirm this.
The recent prisoner swap comes weeks after the largest such exchange of the war to date — from May 23–25, in which each sidereleased 1,000 captives. Since Russia's full-scale invasion began, more than 5,000 Ukrainian POWs have been returned home, according to official figures.
Ukraine continues to push for an "all-for-all" formula to bring every captured Ukrainian soldier back, but Moscow has so far rejected such a comprehensive agreement. Meanwhile, the Coordination Headquarters said preparations are underway for the next phase of exchanges in the coming weeks.
Read also: Ukraine, Russia conduct second prisoner swap under Istanbul deal
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