President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting on preparations for a potential prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia in the thousand-for-thousand format. He has stated that Ukraine is currently examining the list of individuals submitted by the Russian side.

Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter)

Quote: "I held a meeting on the preparation for an exchange. The agreement to release 1,000 of our people from Russian captivity was perhaps the only tangible result of the meeting in Türkiye. We are working to ensure that this result is achieved.

Reports were presented on contacts with the Russians. Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Rustem Umierov, is overseeing the organisation of the process and the implementation of the agreement…

We are clarifying the details for each individual included on the lists submitted by the Russian side."

Details:Zelenskyy said that the exchange process involves Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Security Service, Foreign Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) and the team of the President’s Office.

He added that "returning all of our people from Russian captivity is one of Ukraine’s key objectives".

Background:

• Zelenskyy previously stated that the possibility of a prisoner swap in the thousand-for-thousand format had been discussed with Russia. Ukraine also raised the issue of releasing political prisoners and journalists.
• Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), expressed confidence that a prisoner exchange in the thousand-for-thousand format with Russia would occur next week.
• On 16 May, Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of DIU, said that Ukraine had begun reviewing the lists of POWs who are to be brought back to Ukraine as part of a prisoner swap with Russia in the thousand-for-thousand format.
• On 16 May 2025, the delegations of Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement in Istanbul on the simultaneous release and exchange of 1,000 POWs on each side.
• On 17 May, the Security Service of Ukraine began preparations for the implementation of the agreement on the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine in the thousand-for-thousand format.

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