Ukraine and Russia have reached a "preliminary agreement" to conduct regular prisoner exchanges throughout the year, focusing on the return of seriously ill and severely wounded prisoners of war (POWs), Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets announced on Jan. 6.
In an interview with the state-run parliamentary broadcaster Rada, Lubinets expressed hope that Russia would honor its commitment.
"I do not want this to come across as an official announcement just yet. But we will see if the Russian side keeps its word. If they do, Ukrainian society will notice the systematic nature in terms of quantity, timing, and categories [of prisoners returning home]."
Under the revised approach for preparing exchange lists, priority will now go to those who are severely injured or critically ill, followed by prisoners who have been in captivity the longest.
"For the first time, we managed to establish that we will create lists primarily based on physical health," Lubinets added.
In 2024, Ukraine conducted 11 prisoner exchanges and secured the return of 356 more people than in 2023. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 3,956 people have been released, including 1,358 in 2024.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the numbers in his New Year video address published late on Dec. 31.
On Dec. 30, Ukraine successfully secured the release of 189 captives from Russian detention, including military personnel and two civilians.
The coordination headquarters described it as one of the largest exchanges since the start of the full-scale war. Among those freed were defenders of Azovstal, Mariupol, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Snake Island, and other key front lines.
Stanislav Aseyev
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