Released Ukrainian prisoners of war wrapped with Ukrainian national flags hug each other following a prisoner exchange in the Chernihiv region on April 24, 2026.Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images

Russia, Ukraine free prisoners of war after Trump deal – POLITICO

15 May 2026, 10:10 by Veronika Melkozerova · POLITICO

KYIV — Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war on Friday, each freeing 205 people as part of a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that is expected to involve 2,000 prisoners in total.

“Today, warriors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service are returning from Russian captivity. This is the first stage of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement.

Most of the Ukrainian soldiers who returned today had been in Russian captivity since 2022, according to Ukraine’s state coordination hub for the treatment of prisoners of war.