World
Russia and Ukraine Swap 540 Prisoners in Major Exchange Mediated by the UAE
Each nation released 270 individuals on October 23 in the first significant prisoner exchange between the two countries in two months.
Photo: Mariupol City Council / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
According to reports from Reuters on October 23, 2026, Russia and Ukraine have successfully executed a prisoner exchange involving 270 people from each side. This development represents the first such swap to occur in two months. It serves as the third phase of a combined exchange operation that originally began on August 19. Both the United Arab Emirates and the United States were involved in facilitating the agreement.
The Ukrainian contingent involved in the swap consisted of nine civilians and 261 military personnel. A large majority of these individuals had been in captivity since 2022, with many of them having served in the Azov brigade or fought in Mariupol. Notably, the group of freed Ukrainians included five survivors of the July 2022 Olenivka incident. These five individuals were previously believed to have died in that event. On the other side, Russian personnel were taken to Belarus following their release, where they are set to receive psychological and medical care.
This latest operation marks the 27th exchange mediated by the United Arab Emirates. Data provided by the UAE Foreign Ministry indicates that a total of 8,537 people have now been exchanged through the country’s mediation efforts. This ongoing diplomatic process follows the previous large-scale swap that took place on August 19, which resulted in the freedom of 103 Ukrainians, followed by the release of 10 more individuals at a later time.
Russia and Ukraine swapped 270 prisoners each on 23 October 2026, the first swap in two months and the third stage of an exchange begun 19 August. The UAE mediated, the United States was involved, and the Ukrainian side was 261 military personnel and 9 civilians, mostly held since 2022, including five Olenivka survivors previously thought dead.
Source: Reuters
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