Russia Announces a New Prisoner Swap with Ukraine Is in the Works

Preparations Underway for Another Exchange of Prisoners of War

According to Главком: Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova has revealed that a new exchange of prisoners of war and civilians with Ukraine is being prepared and could take place in the near future. As part of this upcoming swap, she plans to meet in person with Ukraine’s Parliamentary Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets. However, Russian officials have not disclosed any details regarding the date, the number of people involved, or the format of the exchange. So far, no official confirmation has come from the Ukrainian side.

This potential exchange would follow a previous one that occurred on June 5. On that day, Ukraine completed another prisoner swap with Russia, resulting in the return of 185 defenders and one civilian. Among those released were defenders of Mariupol and the Azovstal steel plant. The United States and the United Arab Emirates played a key role in facilitating that exchange. Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov highlighted the assistance of international partners in securing the release of Ukrainian citizens.

“In the very near future, there will be another personal meeting [with Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets]. Our meeting will take place during the exchange of prisoners of war and civilians,”

Yana Lantratova

Combat Zones Involved

The combat zones where those freed on June 5 had been fighting include:

• Donetsk
• Luhansk
• Kharkiv
• Kherson
• Zaporizhzhia
• Sumy
• Kyiv
• Kursk

The preparation of a new exchange of prisoners of war and civilians shows that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on repatriating their citizens are continuing. Prisoner swaps are typically a crucial part of humanitarian dialogue during conflict, and they can influence the overall dynamics between the two countries. At the same time, the lack of concrete details about this exchange may reflect the complexity of the talks and the need for further efforts to reach an agreement.

As negotiations continue, the prospect of another prisoner exchange reflects the ongoing humanitarian efforts between the two nations. For further details on a recent announcement by Ukraine’s Budanov regarding a similar upcoming exchange, you can read more about the imminent swap.