World Tagesschau
Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners again
Russia and Ukraine each handed over 270 people in a prisoner exchange. The action is part of an agreement planned months ago. There are also Ukrainians among those released
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Action that has been agreed for some time. Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners again. As of: October 23, 2026 • 3:58 p.m
Russia and Ukraine each handed over 270 people in a prisoner exchange. The action is part of an agreement planned months ago. Among those released are Ukrainian soldiers who were presumed dead.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war again. The Russian state news agency TASS reported that 270 soldiers were handed over to their home countries, citing the Defense Ministry in Moscow. Both sides also exchanged bodies of soldiers.
The Ukrainian government also confirmed the exchange. Nine civilians were among those who returned to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on X. Most of the military personnel have been in captivity since 2022, the year Russia began its invasion.
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The Ukrainian returnees are said to include five people who were believed to be dead. They were inmates of the Russian prison camp in Olenivka, where many prisoners died after an explosion in 2022. Ukraine blames Russia for this. The exact circumstances have not yet been determined.
The Russian soldiers who returned as part of the exchange are currently in Belarus. After initial medical care and psychological support, all released military personnel will be taken to Russia for further treatment in Russian Defense Ministry medical facilities, the ministry said.
The released Russian soldiers were first taken to Belarus.
According to information from the Ukrainian coordination staff for the treatment of prisoners of war, the exchange had been agreed on for some time.
Thousands of prisoners have already been exchanged since the war against Ukraine began in February 2022. The last large-scale operation took place on August 19, when 103 Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity; another ten people were returned later in August.
With information from Niels Bula, ARD Kyiv
This topic in the program: tagesschau.de | Ukraine and Russia exchange prisoners of war and bodies | Oct 23, 2026 | 2:50 p.m