March 6, 2026, 2:04 p.mMarch 6, 2026, 2:04 p.m
Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war for the second time in two days. “Another 300 defenders are returning from Russian captivity,” wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj on Telegram.
Ukrainian soldiers were released from Russian captivity.Image: keystone
Russia also handed over two Ukrainian civilians. Some of the military men, aged between 26 and 60, have been prisoners of war since 2022.
The Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow confirmed the incident. The 300 Russian soldiers received from Ukraine are currently in Belarus and will then be taken to Russia. The day before, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky had announced an exchange of 500 prisoners of war in two stages.
In the first stage, both sides got back 200 of their own captured soldiers on Thursday. This exchange was reportedly brokered by the USA and the United Arab Emirates. Kyiv and Moscow agreed on the exchange in February in Geneva, Switzerland. (hkl/sda/dpa)