Marta Gichko12:31, 25.05.25

The prisoner exchange agreement has been fulfilled.

On Sunday, May 25, the third stage of the prisoner exchange in the ” 1000 for 1000 ” format, which the parties agreed on at negotiations in Istanbul, took place between Ukraine and Russia . Today, 303 Ukrainians returned from captivity, reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This stage was the final one within the framework of the agreements reached between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul. Thus, 1,000 Ukrainians have already returned home.

“303 Ukrainian defenders are at home. The third part of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange, which was agreed upon in Turkey, has been completed. Today, soldiers of our army, National Guard, State Border Service, and State Special Transport Service are returning,” Zelenskyy said.

The President thanked the team that worked around the clock to successfully implement this exchange. “We will definitely return each and every one of the Russian captives!” he added.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War noted that all 303 defenders liberated today are men, representatives of privates and sergeants. 

The liberated defenders defended Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions, in Zaporizhia and Kharkiv regions, in Kherson, Sumy and Chernihiv regions. In particular, 70 Defenders of Mariupol are returning home. 

“The three-day “1000 for 1000″ exchange was the sixth exchange this year and the 65th since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. In total, within the framework of the negotiation process and exchanges since March 2022, the Coordination Headquarters has released 5,757 Ukrainian citizens. Another 536 Ukrainians were returned outside of the exchanges,” the report says.

It is also noted that the liberated defenders will receive all necessary medical care and rehabilitation, as well as all due payments of monetary support for the time spent in captivity and one-time material assistance. “Ukraine will ensure the reintegration of the liberated into society after prolonged isolation in Russian captivity,” the headquarters added.

“1000 by 1000” – news about the prisoner exchange

As UNIAN previously reported, at negotiations in Istanbul on May 16, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed on  a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war . Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation, reported that the parties had reached an agreement on an exchange in the “1000 for 1000” format in the near future. 

On May 23,  Ukraine returned  almost 400 military and civilian prisoners of war. The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War clarified that of those who returned home, 270 are servicemen of the Defense Forces, and the rest are civilians. Among the released are representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular the Navy, the State Border Guard, the Territorial Defense Forces, as well as the National Guard of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. On May 24,  307 defenders returned from captivity . All are men, representatives of the private and non-commissioned officers.

US Presidential Special Representative Keith Kellogg called the “1,000-for-1,000” exchange  the most positive outcome of the  Istanbul talks. He thanked Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for his significant contribution to achieving it, but added that a ceasefire and an end to the killings were needed.

On the evening of May 24, Zelensky announced the third stage of the exchange . “But the task is to release absolutely everyone who is currently being held in Russia, and this task is common to our intelligence services, to our diplomats, to our entire state. It is clear that this task is not easy, but it must be implemented,” he stressed.

(C)UNIAN 2025