Russia and Ukraine exchange 270 prisoners each
Each side handed over 270 people; released Russian soldiers are in Belarus, Ukraine says nine civilians were among those returned.
Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange on 23 October 2026 in which each side handed over 270 people, the Russian Ministry of Defence said. Moscow reported that the released Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus and will be flown to Russia after receiving psychological and medical assistance.
Exchange follows separate transfer of bodies
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine returned 270 people home today, and that the group included nine civilians. The swap comes a day after both countries exchanged the remains of soldiers killed in the fighting: Russia handed over 252 bodies and received 25.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said the soldiers who were released are in Belarus and will be transported back to Russia after care. Kyiv and Moscow have repeatedly used mediated exchanges to return captured fighters and civilians since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The last large prisoner exchange cited by both sides took place on 19 August, when 103 Ukrainians were released from Russian captivity and an additional ten people were returned from Moscow later that month. Since February 2022, thousands of detainees have been swapped between the belligerents.
Prisoner exchanges remain one of the few ongoing channels of communication between Russia and Ukraine amid the broader conflict. Officials on both sides have at times relied on third-party mediation and agreed procedures to carry out transfers safely.
Photo: press material from the event
