Russia Says Almost 300 POWs Exchanged With Ukraine

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Remind me next month

Russia and Ukraine each sent back 146 prisoners of war on Sunday, Moscow's Defense Ministry said, the latest in a series of exchanges that has seen hundreds of POWs released this year.

Large-scale prisoner exchanges were the only tangible result of three rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul between May and July.

They remain one of the few areas of cooperation between the two countries since Russia's offensive began in 2022.

“On Aug. 24, 146 Russian servicemen were returned from the territory controlled”

“In exchange, 146 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were transferred” to Ukraine, it added.

Russia also said that “eight citizens of the Russian Federation — residents of the Kursk region, illegally detained”

Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion into Russia's Kursk region in August last year, seizing hundreds of square kilometers (miles) of territory in a major setback for the Kremlin.

Russia deployed thousands of troops from its ally North Korea as part of a counterattack, but did not fully reclaim control of the region until April.

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The

We, the

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.