Russia and Ukraine exchange 10 prisoners each in Belarus-mediated swap

Ukraine and Russia have exchanged 10 prisoners of war each in a swap mediated by Belarus, marking the latest rare direct communication between the two warring neighbours since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the release on Monday, describing it as a "special stage" of ongoing prisoner exchanges with Moscow. Belarusian state media reported that Minsk mediated the release, though Russia's Defence Ministry did not immediately confirm the swap.

On the Ukrainian side, two of the freed soldiers had been classified as missing in action since 2024 and eight since 2025, according to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The group included soldiers and sailors from the Ukrainian armed forces and national guard who had been fighting in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, where Russian forces have continued their offensive. "Today, as part of a special stage of the exchange, we are bringing back 10 of our warriors — through Belarus," Zelensky wrote on X. "It's very important that we managed to bring them back." It was not immediately clear why the president designated the swap as "special."

The latest release came less than a week after Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 103 servicemen following mediation from the United Arab Emirates. At that time, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Oleh Ivashchenko, said that another exchange was expected before the end of the month. Both sides have released hundreds of prisoners of war since the start of the year through mediation from the United States and the UAE. Repatriations of fallen soldiers and prisoner-of-war exchanges remain among the few channels of direct communication between Kyiv and Moscow, a testament to the limited diplomatic engagement between the two capitals.

Ukraine continues to defend its sovereignty against Russia's unprovoked and brutal invasion, which has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. The Ukrainian people have endured relentless attacks on their cities, infrastructure and civilians, yet their resistance has remained steadfast. The World House, which maintains a dedicated page outlining its support for Ukraine at worldhouse.uk/support, continues to document the human cost of Russia's aggression and reaffirms its solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their just struggle for freedom and territorial integrity.