Ukraine and Russia executed a prisoner exchange, releasing 150 prisoners of war—75 from each side—in a deal mediated by the United Arab Emirates, marking the fifth swap of 2025. The exchange, conducted near the Belarus border, saw Ukrainian soldiers, including 20 Azov Battalion members captured in Mariupol, return home, while Russia recovered conscripts and officers detained in Donetsk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the release, sharing images of freed soldiers wrapped in national flags, some requiring medical care due to prolonged captivity. Russia’s Defense Ministry acknowledged the swap, noting its captives were repatriated to Moscow for rehabilitation.
Despite the humanitarian gesture, no ceasefire was agreed upon, with fighting intensifying in Donbas, where 1,200 civilian deaths were reported in 2025. The swap follows a U.S.-proposed 30-day truce in March, rejected by Russia, which demands Ukrainian withdrawal from annexed territories. The UAE’s mediation, leveraging its neutral stance, facilitated the release of 1,050 prisoners in 2022.
Families of returned Ukrainians but 10,000 POWs remain in Russian custody, per Ukraine’s estimates. Human rights groups criticized both nations for alleged mistreatment, with Amnesty International documenting torture in detention camps. The exchange, while a diplomatic success, underscores the war’s stalemate, with no peace talks scheduled and Russia’s drone strikes on Kyiv escalating. Global calls for de-escalation persist, but analysts see little prospect for resolution before 2026.