Russia and Ukraine say a major prisoner swap has begun

A major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine began on Friday (May 23, 2025), the countries said, in one of the few signs of progress from their direct talks last week in Istanbul — part of a U.S.-led effort that so far has failed to produce a ceasefire in the three-year-old war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the first phase of the exchange was bringing home 390 Ukrainians, with further releases expected over the weekend.

“It’s very important to bring everyone home,” he wrote on Telegram, thanking all who worked to secure their return and pledging to continue diplomatic efforts to make more exchanges possible.