Ukraine and Russia have completed their fourth prisoner swap in one week, under a bilateral agreement facilitated in Istanbul earlier this month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the exchange in a statement on Saturday, calling it another step in securing the release of Ukrainian citizens held in Russian captivity.
“We continue to take our people out of Russian captivity. This is the fourth exchange in a week,” Zelensky wrote on social media. On its part, Russia’s defence ministry also acknowledged the swap, stating that “another group of Russian servicemen was returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime.”
Fourth Prisoner Swap in One Week Includes Bodies of Ukrainian Citizens
As part of the fourth prisoner swap in one week, Ukraine also received 1,200 unidentified bodies from Russia. Ukrainian officials stated that Russia claimed the bodies were of Ukrainian citizens, including military personnel. However, there was no mention of whether Ukraine returned any remains to Russia in this round of exchanges.
Images released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service showed emotional scenes of released prisoners, some in military uniforms, embracing loved ones and speaking on the phone. Most of them had shaved heads and bore visible signs of fatigue or injury.
Fourth Prisoner Swap in One Week Amid Escalating Attacks in Sumy
This fourth prisoner swap in one week comes as fighting escalates along the frontline, particularly in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region. Russia is reportedly trying to establish a “buffer zone” to shield its Kursk region, which was previously under partial Ukrainian control.
Zelensky claimed that the Russian push into Sumy had been repelled and noted that Ukrainian forces successfully recaptured one village in the area. According to him, Russia had deployed 53,000 troops in its Sumy operation.
Despite repeated international calls for a ceasefire, Moscow has intensified its offensive, even as it engages in prisoner swaps like this fourth exchange in one week.
Ukraine, Russia Conduct Fourth Prisoner Swap in One Week
The fourth prisoner swap in one week between Ukraine and Russia reflects ongoing behind-the-scenes diplomacy, even as full-scale conflict rages on. With over 1,200 bodies returned and more POWs freed, the humanitarian aspect of the war remains active despite Russia’s continued refusal to accept a ceasefire. As both countries reaffirm their positions, the fourth prisoner swap in one week serves as a rare moment of cooperation amid relentless hostility.
