Ukraine and Russia exchange prisoners of war for the third time this week

(Patria) - Ukraine and Russia conducted another exchange of prisoners of war, the third this week, both sides confirmed today.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that more "seriously wounded and seriously ill soldiers" have returned home.

"All of them need treatment and they will definitely be provided with the necessary assistance," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

Вдома 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Home 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/FHfNiZQh1D

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 12, 2025

The Russian Ministry of Defence also confirmed this exchange, which follows an agreement reached in Istanbul.

According to the Ukrainian Prisoner of War Headquarters, some of the returned soldiers had been held captive for more than three years after putting up resistance in the southeastern port city of Mariupol.

Others were under 25 years of age or had been listed as missing.

The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the handover took place on the Belarus-Ukraine border and that the freed Russian soldiers are being transported to Russia.

The exchange was agreed upon during direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow in Istanbul on June 2, where it was discussed that each side wants to release 1,200 prisoners.

It was also the only concrete progress in the peace talks. Ukraine has been resisting Russia's full-scale invasion for more than three years.