Russia and Ukraine Exchange 320 Prisoners and 7 Civilians

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 320 prisoners of war on June 26, 2026, returning 160 personnel from each side. The reciprocal swap was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, marking its 25th successful mediation effort in the conflict and bringing the total number of prisoners it has helped exchange to 7,791.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, confirmed the return of the 160 service members, some of whom had been held since 2022 and included defenders from the Azovstal steel plant. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its returning servicemen were sent to Belarus for medical and psychological assistance before their final transfer to Russia.

Following the large-scale swap, Ukraine secured the release of seven civilian citizens who had been illegally detained by Russia since 2022. These individuals, aged 35 to 66, were held in regions including Mariupol and the Bucha district. This specific release resulted from humanitarian coordination between Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets and Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova.

The Kingdom of Bahrain welcomed the exchange as a positive humanitarian step toward de-escalation. President Zelensky reaffirmed his commitment to identifying and returning all remaining military and civilian captives.