Latest news with #CoordinationHeadquarters
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Over half of Azov fighters returned to Ukraine, official says
A total of 1,279 of the approximately 2,500 Azov fighters held in Russian captivity as POWs have been returned to Ukraine since being captured, including 455 from the Azov Brigade, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on May 28. The confirmed statistic, which includes soldiers in multiple units who fought to defend the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol, comes amid social media outcry criticizing Ukrainian authorities for failing to return certain captives, including Azov fighters, during the war's largest 1,000-for-1,000 POW exchange, which concluded on May 25. "Behind each number is a human life, and no statistics can replace loved ones for individual families," Andrii Yusov, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters told Radio Liberty on May 28. Ukrainian society has rallied for captured Azov fighters who defended the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol during the Russian siege of the port city in 2022. The battle, one of the most brutal of the entire war, is credited with buying time for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to prepare itself and receive international military aid against Russia's invasion during the initial phase of the war. Azovstal defenders were ordered to surrender to the encircling Russian forces after nearly two months of constant bombardment of the besieged plant. While hundreds of these fighters have been released since 2022, hundreds more remain in captivity. Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, described the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange as a "mockery" due to the lack of fighters from the Azov Brigade, in a post on Facebook on May 25. "Ukraine is fighting for every one of its citizens. We are working under extremely difficult conditions amid the full-scale invasion, and the Mariupol garrison remains one of the top priorities for repatriation," Yusov said on May 25 in response to to the frustration seen on social media. Ukraine has long advocated for an "all-for-all" exchange, but Russia has so far rejected the proposal. President Volodymyr Zelensky, following the mass exchange, pledged to "bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity." The three days of prisoner exchanges were negotiated by Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on May 16th, during the first direct talks between the two countries in three years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 28 that Moscow has proposed June 2 as the date for the next round of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul. Read also: Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chaos to coordination: the evolution of POW swaps in the Russia-Ukraine war
The nature, size, and political significance of prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia have evolved significantly over the three and a half years of the full-scale war, accelerating sharply in recent weeks. While ceasefire and peace negotiations have gone through periods of halts and bursts, increasingly institutionalized prisoner exchanges are one of the few enduring areas of direct cooperation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. On average, Ukraine and Russia exchanged 135 prisoners — mostly military, but with a sizable civilian component – each month from February 2022 through May 2025 (excluding the planned 1,000 for 1,000 exchange that began on May 23). But a deeper inspection of the data reveals a number of meaningful trends. Prisoner exchange numbers have surged — 277 individuals changed hands in April, and this weekend alone, 1,000 brave Ukrainians will come home. The picture is unrecognizable from last year, when prisoners were only returned on special occasions and holidays. Prisoner exchanges have been shaped by competing (and sometimes mutually exclusive) priorities including backchannel logistics, battlefield developments, and geopolitics. New data collected by KI Insights, an analytical research unit backed by the Kyiv Independent, gives a look behind the curtain into the institutionalization of prisoner exchanges. The full-scale invasion brought two meaningful institutional changes to prisoner exchanges. Firstly, Russia became an official party to the conflict, creating room to directly engage in negotiations. (Before the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation denied its involvement in aggression in Ukraine, and negotiations were done through Russian-backed proxies in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.) Secondly, Ukraine created the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, an interagency working group created by the Cabinet of Ministers in March of 2022, which is responsible for prisoner exchanges. Since its creation, the Coordination Headquarters has gone through meaningful changes. Roles and responsibilities have changed hands, priorities have been defined, and each agency has a specific process it is responsible for. Kyrylo Budanov, leader of the Coordination Headquarters (since June of 2022, taking over from Iryna Vereshchuk) and Ukraine's chief of military intelligence, has successfully turned prisoner exchanges into an institution. Data collected by KI Insights demonstrates the impact of institutionalization. The average number of prisoners swapped per exchange has steadily increased, growing by approximately 50% each year. The number of swaps, however, has been inconsistent, with frequent breakdowns until late last year. In 2022, an average of 50 prisoners were returned to Ukraine per exchange. In 2025, the number has risen to more than 200, with this weekend's exchanges driving the number higher. The Istanbul negotiations failed to achieve a ceasefire, proving once again, Russia does not want peace. But for the prisoners who returned home, they were meaningful. The exchange also underscores an interesting dynamic of this war. There are lines of communication between Ukraine and Russia, and enough trust between officials to work together to return prisoners home. That is significant — the current frontline in Ukraine is more than 1,200 kilometers long, and any ceasefire will require significant amounts of communication and trust between Ukrainian and Russian officials. Russia has broken off prisoner exchanges at key points over the war, often when Russia thinks it can inflict maximum psychological damage. Following the siege of Mariupol and Ukraine's unsuccessful counteroffensive, Russia froze prisoner exchanges. Russian soldiers also tortured and killed Ukrainian prisoners of war at Olenivka Prison and on the battlefield. Refusing to return prisoners is a tactic Russia uses to exploit existing divisions in Ukrainian society and exploit the pain of families of the imprisoned as a political resource. For Russia, prisoners are resources — for psychological warfare and for bargaining. While pressure from the United States hasn't brought Russia to the table for a ceasefire, it likely has caused Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a show of reasonableness by agreeing to a prisoner exchange. The latest exchange is historic and could be a tipping point that helps U.S. President Donald Trump realize that U.S. pressure on Russia makes a difference. It could also solidify the shadowy infrastructure built between warring states and set the stage for an all-for-all prisoner exchange. Maybe it could, as Trump puts it, 'lead to something big???' Even if it doesn't, it is a battle won on the road to returning Ukrainians to Ukraine. Read also: BREAKING: Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap since start of Russia's war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
CNN
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Ukraine and Russia begin large-scale prisoner exchange, source says
A major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine is now under way, according to a Ukrainian source familiar with the matter. The swap started on Friday and is expected to unfold over several days with Kyiv and Moscow swapping hundreds of prisoners. The agreement to release 1,000 prisoners on each side was the only significant outcome of the meeting between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul last week, which marked the first time the two sides have met directly since soon after Russia's full-scale unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Istanbul meeting was initially proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to a ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum given to Moscow by Kyiv's European allies – which many saw as a clear attempt by the Kremlin leader to distract and delay. But while the return of hundreds of Ukrainian detainees will come as a huge relief to their families and loved ones, it remains somewhat underwhelming as the only tangible outcome of the highly touted meeting. Prisoner swaps have been happening regularly, most recently earlier this month. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a government department, said the exchange on May 7, which saw more than 200 Ukrainian service members return home, was the fifth swap this year and the 64th since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. The department said at the time that at 4,757 Ukrainian citizens have been released since March 2022. Ukraine and its allies demanded that Russia agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Istanbul, but that did not happen. Kyiv also offered direct talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
CNN
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Ukraine and Russia begin large-scale prisoner exchange, source says
A major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine is now under way, according to a Ukrainian source familiar with the matter. The swap started on Friday and is expected to unfold over several days with Kyiv and Moscow swapping hundreds of prisoners. The agreement to release 1,000 prisoners on each side was the only significant outcome of the meeting between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul last week, which marked the first time the two sides have met directly since soon after Russia's full-scale unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Istanbul meeting was initially proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to a ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum given to Moscow by Kyiv's European allies – which many saw as a clear attempt by the Kremlin leader to distract and delay. But while the return of hundreds of Ukrainian detainees will come as a huge relief to their families and loved ones, it remains somewhat underwhelming as the only tangible outcome of the highly touted meeting. Prisoner swaps have been happening regularly, most recently earlier this month. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a government department, said the exchange on May 7, which saw more than 200 Ukrainian service members return home, was the fifth swap this year and the 64th since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. The department said at the time that at 4,757 Ukrainian citizens have been released since March 2022. Ukraine and its allies demanded that Russia agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Istanbul, but that did not happen. Kyiv also offered direct talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
CNN
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Ukraine and Russia begin large-scale prisoner exchange, source says
A major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine is now under way, according to a Ukrainian source familiar with the matter. The swap started on Friday and is expected to unfold over several days with Kyiv and Moscow swapping hundreds of prisoners. The agreement to release 1,000 prisoners on each side was the only significant outcome of the meeting between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul last week, which marked the first time the two sides have met directly since soon after Russia's full-scale unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Istanbul meeting was initially proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to a ceasefire-or-sanctions ultimatum given to Moscow by Kyiv's European allies – which many saw as a clear attempt by the Kremlin leader to distract and delay. But while the return of hundreds of Ukrainian detainees will come as a huge relief to their families and loved ones, it remains somewhat underwhelming as the only tangible outcome of the highly touted meeting. Prisoner swaps have been happening regularly, most recently earlier this month. Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a government department, said the exchange on May 7, which saw more than 200 Ukrainian service members return home, was the fifth swap this year and the 64th since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. The department said at the time that at 4,757 Ukrainian citizens have been released since March 2022. Ukraine and its allies demanded that Russia agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Istanbul, but that did not happen. Kyiv also offered direct talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
