Russia and Ukraine began exchanging prisoners using the formula 1000 to 1000

According to media reports, the exchange will last several days

Russia and Ukraine have begun an exchange of prisoners using the formula 1000 to 1000. This is reported by several media outlets, citing sources. US President Donald Trump wrote that the exchange has already been completed, however, according to media reports, it is still ongoing and will last several days.

The exchange takes place on the border of Ukraine and Belarus and will last three days

“A major prisoner exchange has just concluded between Russia and Ukraine. It will come into force soon. Congratulations to both sides on successful negotiations. Could this lead to something bigger???,” Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social.

The Ukrainian telegram channel russia no context wrote on May 22 that the exchange will probably “start in the coming days” and will take place over several days, “since it is physically difficult to carry out it at once.” The Ukrainian state project “I Want to Live,” which helps Russian military personnel surrender, told Dozhd that the exchange is taking place on the border of Ukraine and Belarus and will last three days.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed the start of the exchange. “Today there are 390 people. Saturday and Sunday – we expect the exchange to continue,” he wrote.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the parties returned 270 military personnel and 120 civilians to each other.

The telegram channel Mash, close to the Russian security forces, writes that Russia will return home almost all of its military personnel captured during the entire full-scale war, while Ukraine will return less than 10%. According to the channel, there are about 1,300 military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukrainian captivity, and “almost 10 thousand Armed Forces officers” in Russian captivity.

“All Russians approved for exchange were kept in a border colony in Sumy. These are mainly fighters from the Kursk and Kharkov directions,” writes Mash.

The prisoner exchange was agreed upon at negotiations in Istanbul

The exchange of prisoners was agreed upon during negotiations in Istanbul on May 16. It was reported by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Vladimir Putin’s adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who headed the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, respectively.

The next round of negotiations could take place in the Vatican. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump said this during a conversation with European leaders on May 19. According to the publication, negotiations could take place as early as mid-June. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in turn, said that “technical negotiations” are expected at the Vatican; they could take place as early as next week.

On May 22, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky announced that Russia and Ukraine had exchanged lists of prisoners.

“Had a meeting to prepare for the exchange. The agreement on the release of 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only real result of the meeting in Turkey. We are working to ensure this result is achieved. <…> We are finding out the details for each person who was included in the lists from the Russian side. This is one of the key tasks of Ukraine - to return all our people from Russian captivity. I thank everyone who helps,” Zelensky wrote .

This information was later confirmed by Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov. At the same time, he stated that Russia handed over its list to Ukraine, but did not receive it. Soon, the deputy head of the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Andrei Yusov, announced that Kyiv had handed over its list to the Russian side.

The previous exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine took place on May 6. It passed according to the formula 205 to 205, among those who returned to Ukraine were, among other things, the defenders of Mariupol.

Photo: Exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, May 23, 2025. Telegram channel of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky