A large-scale prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia is under way, a Ukrainian source with knowledge of the matter told RFE/RL.
The source, who was not authorized to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity after US President Donald Trump said Ukraine and Russia had “just completed” a big prisoner swap which has in the works since peace talks in Istanbul last week.
“A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine. It will go into effect shortly,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on May 23. “Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 22 that the agreement on a “1,000-for-1,000” prisoner exchange was “perhaps the only real result” of a 90-minute meeting in Istanbul on May 16 — the first direct peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials since shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelenskyy said the sides had exchanged lists of prisoners who could be exchanged in the swap.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has said “key” Ukrainian institutions had been working on implementing the step-by-step prisoner exchange plan.
Russia has rejected calls by Ukraine, the United States, and European countries for a 30-day cease-fire, and no new meeting has been scheduled.
Russia and Ukraine have conducted several prisoner swaps since the start of the full-scale invasion.
