Ukraine and Russia are continuing to exchange prisoners following agreements made during talks in Istanbul earlier this month.
On Sunday, June 14, the fourth exchange this week took place, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.
“We must free everyone — that is our goal, to leave no one behind. I thank everyone involved in making this happen,” Zelensky said, sharing video and photos from the exchange near the border.
Among those freed are individuals who had been considered missing in action. The oldest returned is 63 years old, the youngest is 21.
According to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the vast majority of the defenders freed today had been held captive since 2022, with many captured during the defense of Mariupol. Most of those released are officers, and several are under the age of 25.
“The freed defenders will undergo the necessary medical examinations, receive physical and psychological rehabilitation, and be provided with all payments due for the duration of their captivity,” the Coordination Headquarters reported.
However, the number of prisoners returned home, as well as the lists of names, will be published only after all stages of the exchange are completed, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War explained.
The exchange follows a second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine held June 2 in Istanbul. At the meeting, both sides agreed to exchange all wounded soldiers and those aged under 25 – more than 1,000 people on each side. Moscow also promised to return the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war.
This prisoner exchange is expected to be the largest of the war, surpassing last month’s swap of 1,000 prisoners on each side.
The first stage of the prisoner exchange took place on Monday, June 9, followed by the second stage on June 10 and the third on Thursday, June 12.