Ukraine and Russia have exchanged 160 prisoners of war (POWs) each in the latest round of prisoner swaps between the two countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday.

“We remember everyone who is in captivity,” Zelensky wrote on social media. He added that all Ukrainian personnel released in the latest exchange had been held in Russian captivity since 2022.

“We check every last name. We must return everyone — both military and civilians,” he said.

The latest swap comes approximately six weeks after former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that negotiations were underway for a larger exchange involving 1,000 prisoners from each side.

In May, Ukrainian officials confirmed they had submitted a list of 1,000 names to Russia for inclusion in a broader exchange framework, compiled based on the duration of captivity of Ukrainian POWs.

The previous prisoner exchange took place on June 5, when 185 Ukrainian POWs were returned home from Russian detention.

Despite ongoing contacts on humanitarian issues, broader peace negotiations aimed at ending the war have made little progress since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Regular prisoner exchanges and body repatriations remain among the few functioning channels of communication between Kyiv and Moscow.

Ukrainian officials said that among those freed in the latest exchange were soldiers who had taken part in the defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, one of the most symbolic last stands of Ukrainian forces before the city fell in May 2022.

According to Zelensky, the released servicemen belonged to various branches of Ukraine’s armed forces, including the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, the National Guard, and the Border Guard Service.

Authorities reiterated that efforts continue to secure the return of all Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia, both military personnel and civilians. (ILKHA)