On May 25, Ukraine successfully repatriated 303 prisoners of war from Russian captivity, marking the conclusion of the largest POW exchange since the full-scale invasion began. The swap, spread over three days, returned a total of 1,000 Ukrainian and 1,000 Russian captives, a deal brokered during direct Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Türkiye—the first such talks in three years.

President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to the team executing the exchange, vowing, “We will definitely bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity.”

Among those returned were members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, Border Guard, and the State Special Transport Service. Notably, 70 of the freed were defenders of Mariupol, captured during Russia’s brutal siege of the southern port city in 2022.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters confirmed that 5,757 POWs have now been freed since March 2022, with 536 others returned by alternative means.

Despite the humanitarian breakthrough, hopes for a broader truce have dimmed. Ukraine and the U.S. pushed for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, but Russian officials “categorically” rejected the offer during the Türkiye summit, according to Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated Moscow will present its peace terms only after the full completion of the exchange.