Ukraine and Russia Engage in Multi-Stage Prisoner Exchange Efforts

A significant prisoner exchange is currently underway between Ukraine and Russia, initiated after recent negotiations. President Zelensky announced the return of a variety of soldiers, highlighting the challenges involved in the process as military actions continue to escalate between both countries.

A prisoner exchange is currently taking place between Russia and Ukraine, with both governments confirming the operation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the swap would occur in multiple stages over the next few days, focusing on returning the wounded, those seriously injured, and soldiers aged under 25. In a post on Telegram, Zelensky remarked, "The process is quite complicated, there are many sensitive details, negotiations continue virtually every day."

Russia claimed it was also returning a "similar number" of Ukrainian prisoners, although neither party disclosed the specific figures involved in the exchange. According to Russia's defense ministry, "the first group of Russian servicemen under the age of 25 were returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," following a prior agreement reached during discussions in Turkey last week.

Moscow added that the exchanged soldiers are receiving necessary psychological and medical attention in Belarus. On the other side, relatives of Ukrainian prisoners have gathered in the Chernihiv region, waiting to greet their loved ones while seeking information about those still unaccounted for.

Previously, both countries had accused one another of obstructing efforts to repatriate the bodies of deceased soldiers. In late May, an extensive exchange occurred, with 390 soldiers and civilians being handed over in the largest swap since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Simultaneously, fighting intensified overnight, with Russia launching a record total of 479 drones aimed at Ukraine, including assaults on the previously less targeted western region of Rivne. Russia noted that these strikes, targeting the Dubno base, were meant to retaliate for recent attacks by Ukraine on Russian airfields. Although damage was reported across multiple Ukrainian regions, there were no immediate casualty reports.

As tensions rise, Russia has ramped up military assaults, achieving record drone launches weekly. In its own strategy, Ukraine claimed successful strikes against a Russian airbase in Nizhny Novgorod — approximately 400 miles from its border — which allegedly houses planes capable of deploying hypersonic missiles. There was also an assault on an electronics factory believed to produce guidance systems for drones and bombs, resulting in a significant explosion and subsequent suspension of production at the facility.