The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, announced on Sunday, April 12, that a new prisoner exchange is being prepared for the end of next week.
Speaking to Novyny.LIVE, Budanov explained that the previous swap on April 11, which brought home 182 citizens, was conducted as soon as possible to ensure defenders could spend Easter at home. “The other side did not quite have time to prepare everything. There was no way to wait,” Budanov said, noting that bureaucratic hurdles delayed a larger group. “I hope that another stage will take place somewhere by the end of next week.”
The announcement follows the 72nd successful prisoner exchange, which included 175 military personnel and seven civilians. UPresident Volodymyr Zelensky previously confirmed that the group included defenders of Mariupol and the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, many of whom had been in captivity since 2022.
However, Budanov expressed a grim outlook regarding the current 32-hour holiday ceasefire. He noted that a major breakthrough in long-term stability is unlikely, citing Russia’s history of violating previous religious holiday truces. “Unfortunately, this [long-term ceasefire] will not happen,” Budanov stated. “It was the same several years ago. It was violated many times... I think nothing will change and it will be the same today.”
The skepticism in Kyiv is bolstered by reports from the General Staff, which recorded hundreds of Russian strikes in the initial hours of the “holiday silence.” Despite the volatile front line, prisoner swaps remain one of the few functional areas of cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow, often mediated by the United Arab Emirates and the US.
As the current truce approaches its expiration at the end of Sunday, Ukrainian forces remain on high alert. For the families of those still in captivity, Budanov’s confirmation of upcoming talks offers a rare sign of hope amid the ongoing regional instability and the collapse of broader peace negotiations between US and Iran in Islamabad.