Ukraine and Russia exchange 270 prisoners each

Ukraine and Russia each returned 270 people in a new prisoner exchange on 23 October 2026. The exchange was confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Russian authorities, Reuters reported.

According to Zelenskyy, nine civilians were among those returned to Ukraine. Most of the Ukrainian service personnel released had been held captive since 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian president thanked those who had worked to secure their release and said efforts to bring the others home were continuing.

Russian human rights representative Yana Lantratova said Russia had also received seven civilians. The Defence Ministry in Moscow said the released Russian service personnel were in Belarus and would be transported to Russia after receiving the necessary assistance.

The exchange follows contacts with US intermediaries earlier in the week, but does not in itself signify an agreement to end the fighting. Prisoner exchanges remain one of the few areas in which Kyiv and Moscow cooperate periodically despite the ongoing war.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian outlet RBC-Ukraine also cited Zelenskyy's announcement that 270 people had returned. This is a new development from 23 October and does not repeat the article published on 21 October about diplomatic contacts between Moscow and Washington.

Sources: Reuters, 23 October 2026; RBC-Ukraine, 23 October 2026.

Illustrative photo: the Ukrainian flag. Photo by MUHAMMAD NABEEL / Unsplash. The photo does not show the prisoner exchange.