Russia and Ukraine exchange 390 prisoners each

(Patria) - Russia and Ukraine have carried out the largest prisoner exchange since the start of the Russian invasion.

Hundreds of soldiers and civilians were exchanged in a process expected to continue over the weekend.

"We are bringing our people home. The first part of the 1,000 for 1,000 exchange agreement has been implemented," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Telegram.

Zelenskyy stated that 390 people were exchanged from each side and added that the exchange is expected to continue on May 24-25.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, this number includes 270 prisoners of war and 120 civilians.

🇺🇦The first return under the “1000 for 1000” agreement: 390 Ukrainians are home!

Ukraine is bringing back part of its citizens following the agreement reached in Türkiye, where both sides committed to returning 1000 of their people.

Glory to Ukraine! pic.twitter.com/gsRrf7nYIe

— Dmytro Lubinets (@lubinetzs) May 23, 2025

Several hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Ukraine and Russia had "just completed" an exchange that had been in the works since peace talks in Istanbul a week ago, and that it would "take effect soon."

"Congratulations to both sides on this negotiation. This could lead to something big???" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

A day earlier, Zelenskyy said the agreement was "perhaps the only real result" of a 90-minute meeting between Ukrainian and Russian negotiators in Istanbul on May 16 – the first direct peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Zelenskyy also said that the sides had exchanged lists of prisoners who could be exchanged.



The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the 120 Russians returning to Russia include residents of the Kursk region, which Ukraine attacked last August.

An exchange of 1,000 people from each side would be the largest of several prisoner exchanges since the full-scale invasion began. Previous exchanges have not led to tangible progress in ending the war.

Russia has rejected calls from Ukraine, the United States, and European countries for a 30-day ceasefire, and no new meetings have been scheduled following the talks in Istanbul.