160 Ukrainian POWs released from Russian captivity in latest major exchange
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One hundred sixty Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were released in the latest exchange major exchange with Russia President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 26.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the exchange of 160 POWs each between Ukraine and Russia had taken place, Kremlin-controlled news agency Ria Novosti reported on June 26.
"We remember everyone who is in captivity," Zelensky said on social media, adding that all those released in the current exchange had been held by Russia since 2022.
"We check every last name. We must return everyone — both military and civilians."
The latest exchange comes a month and a half after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the exchange would involve 1,000 POWs from each country returning home.
Ukraine said in May that it has provided Russia with "the List of 1,000" for the large-scale exchange, put together based on the time length that the Ukrainian POWs held captive have spent in captivity.
The previous exchange took place on June 5, with a total of 185 Ukrainian POWs returning from Russian captivity.
Regular POW swaps — in addition to the almost monthly repatriation of bodies — remain one of the few working Kyiv-Moscow channels since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The swap came as the U.S.-initiated peace talks aimed at securing an end to the war continued to stall, with U.S. President Donald Trump appearing to be losing interest in Ukraine.
Among the Ukrainian POWs released on June 26 are soldiers who defended the Azovstal steel plant, the last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol, before the city fell to Russia in May 2022.
The POWs had been fighting as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, the National Guard, and the Border Guards, according to Zelensky.
