Russia and Ukraine conduct largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the conflict: "1000 for 1000"
Russia and Ukraine have completed the largest prisoner exchange since the start of the full-scale war. Under an agreement reached in Istanbul, both sides released 1,000 individuals over the course of three days. The exchange was carried out in stages:
On May 23, each side exchanged 390 individuals (270 military personnel and 120 civilians);
On May 24, the second stage saw the exchange of 307 military personnel from each side;
On May 25, the final day, another 303 individuals were released by both parties.
In total, 2,000 people were freed over the three days. This exchange was notable for its new format: lists were compiled based on mutual agreement. Each side submitted a list of individuals they were prepared to release and received a corresponding list from the other side.
Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence clarified that no fighters from the Azov Regiment were released in this exchange. This was attributed to the new format, where mutual agreement between the parties takes precedence over proportionality or prioritization of specific categories of prisoners.
According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, this was the sixth exchange in 2025 and the 65th since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Since March 2022, 5,757 Ukrainian citizens have been released through official negotiations, and another 536 have been returned outside of formal exchanges.
Testimonies from recently released Ukrainian prisoners indicate serious human rights violations by Russia against Ukrainian POWs. According to these accounts, 90% were subjected to torture, denied medical care, and suffered physical and psychological abuse, including sexual violence, unlawful sentences, and even killings — both at the time of capture and during detention in Russian facilities.
