Ukraine and Russia have reached a preliminary agreement to hold regular prisoner exchanges this year, giving priority to prisoners of war (POWs) who are seriously ill or injured.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, shared this update on January 6.
According to Lubinets, the agreement also includes providing a care package to every Ukrainian POW and civilian hostage with help from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“We’ll see if the Russian side keeps its promise,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Speaking on a national broadcast, Lubinets said he was hopeful that Russia would follow through.
“I don’t want to officially announce this yet, but if they keep their word, people in Ukraine will notice regular exchanges happening with clear timing and categories,” he explained. He also noted that, for the first time, the exchange lists would be prioritized based on the health needs of the prisoners.
The last exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place on December 30, when Ukraine secured the release of 189 people from Russian detention.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had freed 3,767 people from Russian captivity. Many of them needed medical and psychological care after suffering torture, abuse, and hunger while in detention.
