Russia and Ukraine Exchange Prisoners in Belarus

Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner of war exchange on August 26, 2026, involving ten servicemen from each side. The swap took place near an airport by the city of Gomel, Belarus. Yana Lantratova, the Russian Human Rights Commissioner, indicated the exchange likely involved critically wounded soldiers, as footage showed ten ambulances waiting to receive the returned personnel.

Earlier that day, Russian state media reported that the two nations were finalizing lists for a separate, larger exchange described by Lantratova as quite big. This activity follows a 103-for-103 exchange that occurred the previous week. The pace of these swaps has increased throughout August after a brief pause in July.

The United Arab Emirates has served as the mediator for these humanitarian efforts, which include the exchange of prisoners and the bodies of fallen soldiers. The developments coincided with an unannounced visit to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe for undisclosed talks, though no confirmed link exists between his visit and the prisoner negotiations.