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Russia Claims 500-for-500 Prisoner Exchange With Ukraine Planned for March 5–6
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Ukraine and Russia are set to conduct a prisoner-of-war exchange on March 5–6, with both sides expected to release 500 captives each under a “500-for-500” arrangement.
This was reported by a senior Kremlin official Vladidmir Medinsky on March 5, according to Russian state media.
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He said the decision was made as part of agreements reached during negotiations in Geneva.
There has been no confirmation from the Ukrainian side so far.
UPD. Later The “I Want to Live” project has confirmed that the prisoner exchange is set to take place on March 6
According to the statement, the largest number of Russian troops since the start of the war is currently being held in Ukrainian captivity, amounting to thousands of Russian soldiers.
“Despite the fact that Russia sends all of its exchanged soldiers back to the front line, and an ‘all-for-all’ exchange would allow the Russian Armed Forces to replenish losses comparable to half a division, Russia continues to sabotage the exchange,” the statement said.
Against this backdrop, Ukraine has already carried out its first prisoner exchange of the year. On February 5, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War completed the initial exchange of 2026, securing the release of 157 people from Russian captivity—150 service members and seven civilians—acting on the directive of the President of Ukraine.
Those freed include personnel from across Ukraine’s defense forces: the Navy, Ground Forces, Territorial Defense, Airborne Forces, Air Force, as well as the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service. Alongside enlisted soldiers and sergeants, several officers were also among those returned.
The released defenders had fought on multiple fronts, including in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, and Kyiv regions. Most were captured during the defense of Mariupol. Also among those coming home was a National Guard serviceman taken prisoner during the occupation of Chernobyl.
Earlier, Ukraine has recovered the bodies of 1,000 fallen service members, with initial information provided by the Russian side indicating that the remains are believed to be those of Ukrainian defenders.
The process of confirming identities will now continue in Ukraine, where law enforcement investigators and forensic experts from specialized institutions will conduct further examinations and identification procedures.
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-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
