Ukraine conducted another prisoner swap with Russia, returning home dozens of wounded, ill, and young defenders, many of whom had been held since 2022. Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and POW HQ did not specify the exact number of POWs returned in this exchange. One of the photos shows at least 41 people.

Fourth exchange in one week

On 14 June 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on his official Telegram channel that Ukraine had carried out the fourth prisoner exchange in a single week.

“We continue to bring our people back from Russian captivity,” Zelenskyy wrote.

He added that many of those released had been in Russian hands since 2022 and included servicemen from the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service.

“We must free everyone and we’re working toward this so that no one is left to the enemy,” Zelenskyy stated, thanking all those contributing to the process.

Wounded, seriously ill, and young defenders returned

According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, this latest exchange was part of a broader deal focusing on releasing those who are wounded or seriously ill. It was carried out under agreements previously reached with Russia in Istanbul.

The returned soldiers include members of the Armed Forces, Air Assault Forces, Navy, Territorial Defense Forces, State Border Guard Service, National Guard, and the State Special Transport Service. The Coordination Headquarters emphasized that the majority had been in captivity since 2022, with many captured during the defense of Mariupol.

High number of officers and young servicemen among released

Most of the freed defenders reportedly were officers, while some were under the age of 25. They had fought on multiple fronts, including the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kursk directions. Their release marks a significant development in Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to bring its soldiers home.

The Coordination Headquarters confirmed that all released defenders will undergo comprehensive medical examinations and receive physical and psychological rehabilitation. They will also be granted the full financial compensation due for the duration of their captivity.

2022 Mariupol Defense

The defense of Mariupol in 2022 resulted in heavy losses for Ukraine, with hundreds of servicemen captured after the fall of the Azovstal plant. Since then, Ukraine has conducted multiple prisoner swaps, often focusing on those with severe injuries or health conditions, facilitated through international negotiations.

Russian officials predict the US’s collapse amid the protests in Los Angeles. Alexei Pushkov, chair of the Russian Federation Council’s Commission on Information Policy, has claimed that the US is now “the top candidate for disintegration” due to mounting internal divisions, Ukrinform reports.

Pushkov, a prominent member of the ruling United Russia party, has shared his statement on Telegram.

“California is in a state of chaos and lawlessness. Rioters are pelting police cars with bricks, conveniently pre-positioned on pallets throughout Los Angeles, just like during the 2020 riots,” he writes. 

He has also accused California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, of siding with rioters and blaming federal authorities.

“While Brussels fantasizes about Russia’s collapse, which won’t happen, it is the US that may not survive the deep divisions shaking its society,” Pushkov has argued. 

He has concluded with a provocative prediction: “In the 21st century, the US may well become the Disunited States.”

Pushkov is no ordinary lawmaker. A career diplomat, he also heads the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and was among the authors of the constitutional amendments that enabled Vladimir Putin to extend his presidency indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Konstantin Blokhin, a political scientist with the Russian Academy of Sciences, has advised Trump to suppress the California protests by force. He has downplayed concerns over public opinion in what he described as a “non-Republican” state.

“I’m 100% certain that Democrats and liberals will immediately label him a dictator, despot, fascist — they’ll do it no matter what. If the situation develops rapidly and unpredictably, force will be necessary. If national security is at risk, no one will sit idly by,” he has claimed. 

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a formal message congratulating the Russian people on Russia Day, which coincided with Kyiv’s announcement that Russian troop losses in Ukraine have surpassed one million.

Rubio’s greetings come as Russia continues its escalated daily airstrikes on Ukrainian cities, causing numerous civilian casualties.

Ukraine’s recent large-scale prisoner exchange with Russia did not include any members of the 12th Special Operations Brigade Azov, according to a statement by the National Guard’s 1st Corps Azov. The three-day swap, which concluded today, involved the return of 1000 prisoners on each side but left out the Azov fighters who had defended Mariupol in early 2022.

In a statement published on Telegram, the National Guard Corps Azov welcomed the exchange of members of two National Guard’s brigades – 14th Chervona Kalyna and 15th Kara-Dag – among those 1,000 prisoners who returned home over the past three days,

“We welcome home every soldier who today returned to their native land. Together we will restore our strength and defend Ukraine with even greater determination,” the statement said.

Then Azov confirmed:

“However, there were no servicemen of the 12th Brigade Azov in this exchange.”

The soldiers of Azov – the National Guard’s regiment at the time – had held off Russian forces alongside marines and local police for 86 days during the siege of Mariupol, delaying their advance and enabling Ukraine to organize its national defense. The defenders of Azovstal steel plant – the last Ukrainian stronghold in the city – were captured after the Ukrainian command ordered them to surrender.

“The fighters who were taken into captivity following orders after 86 days of defending Mariupol have been there for over 3 years,” Azov’s statement reads. “Over 800 Azov fighters are in their fourth year of captivity.”

Today, 25 May, Ukraine has completed the third and final stage of a major 1000-for-1000 prisoner exchange agreement with Russia, achieved recently in Istanbul, bringing home 303 Ukrainian defenders.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the news on his official Telegram channel, stating,

“303 Ukrainian defenders are home. The third part of the 1000-for-1000 exchange, agreed in Türkiye, is complete.”

Zelenskyy highlighted that the servicemen returning to Ukraine today represent the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service.

“Thank you to the team who worked around the clock to make this exchange successful,” he added, promising that Ukraine will continue efforts to bring every prisoner home.

Troops from multiple branches among those freed

According to Ukraine’s Coordination HQ for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the group included representatives from the Naval Forces, Air Forces, Air Assault Forces, and Territorial Defense Forces. All 303 returned individuals were men, with positions held at the rank-and-file or sergeant levels.

The freed defenders had previously served across several strategic regions, including Donetsk and Luhansk directions, as well as in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Chernihiv oblasts.

Of the 303 soldiers freed in this phase, 70 were Mariupol defenders, illegally held in Russian captivity since 2022. 

Officials emphasized that all released defenders would receive necessary medical assistance, rehabilitation, as well as complete financial compensation for the time spent in captivity. Ukraine also pledged full reintegration support for all those returning after prolonged isolation under Russian control.

Exchanges

The 1000-for-1000 prisoner exchange stands as the only tangible outcome of the Istanbul negotiations with Russia held on 16 May. On 23 May, Ukraine secured the release of 270 military personnel and 120 civilians from Russian captivity, including three women and 387 men. The following day, 24 May, the second phase of the large-scale swap brought another 307 people home.