Zelenskyy: First stage of all-for-all exchange held under Istanbul agreements

Today, the exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia began as part of last week's agreements in Istanbul. The exchange will take place in several stages.

This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. ‘Among those we are currently repatriating are the wounded and seriously injured, as well as those under the age of 25. The process is quite complicated, with many sensitive details, and negotiations are ongoing on a daily basis,’ said the head of state. Zelenskyy expressed hope that the agreements on humanitarian issues reached during the meeting in Istanbul would be fully implemented.  ‘We are doing our utmost to bring everyone back. We are working on this at all levels. We must bring home everyone who is in captivity. Thank you to everyone who is helping,’ the President emphasised. The Coordination Headquarters reported that among those released today were representatives of the Navy, Army, Troop Transport Forces, Air Force, Airborne Assault Forces, Border Guard Service, National Guard, and State Special Transport Service. All those released are privates and sergeants.

"Among those released are defenders of Mariupol who spent more than three years in captivity. This is only the first part of a large-scale exchange that will continue within the framework of the agreements reached. This exchange concerns certain categories of prisoners of war, in particular those under the age of 25, seriously wounded and seriously ill captives,’ the Coordination Headquarters said in a statement. 

Work is also continuing on the repatriation of the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers who died while defending their homeland.

The returned defenders will be provided with everything they need. Their documents will be restored, they will be paid the appropriate monetary compensation for the entire time in captivity, and they will receive a one-time allowance. They will also undergo a course of medical rehabilitation.

‘The 66th prisoner exchange is ongoing. For security reasons, the final numbers of those released will be announced after the exchange process is complete,’ the statement said.

• Russia and Ukraine agreed on the exchange of seriously ill and wounded prisoners, as well as captives under the age of 25, during negotiations in Istanbul on 2 June. The Ukrainian delegation said that the exchange would be on an all-for-all basis. After that, the exchange of 6,000 dead bodies was to begin.
• The exchange is the only agreement that the Russians have agreed to. This is the second such event following the meetings in Turkey. After the May round of negotiations, more than 1,000 Ukrainians returned home.