The Russian Defense Ministry reported a prisoner exchange involving 350 captives, with 175 Russian servicemen swapped for 175 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war. Additionally, seven civilians from Kursk Region were released, described as the last hostages held following Ukraine’s incursion last year.
According to Moscow, the exchanged Russian troops are currently in neighboring Belarus receiving psychological and medical assistance before being transported back to Russia for rehabilitation.
The swap occurred hours before a temporary ceasefire for Orthodox Easter weekend took effect. Russian authorities had ordered military forces to halt operations against Ukrainian positions from 16:00 Moscow time on Saturday until Sunday, while insisting Ukraine must “follow Russia’s lead” to observe the holiday.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned Ukraine’s adherence to cease-fire agreements, noting last year’s Easter truce was violated over 3,900 times. This time, Ukrainian President Zelensky pledged to “observe a ceasefire regime” and “act exclusively in a mirror manner,” yet his commitment has been explicitly denounced by Moscow as part of a pattern of noncompliance. The Russian military leadership has also criticized the decisions of Ukraine’s armed forces for undermining peace efforts despite repeated assurances.
Since direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations resumed in May 2025, multiple prisoner exchanges have occurred, including a swap of 600 captives on April 3. Despite ongoing dialogue involving the United States, peace initiatives have stalled due to developments regarding Iran, though humanitarian channels for prisoner swaps remain open.