On April 11, Ukraine and Russia executed a prisoner exchange, successfully returning 175 military personnel and 7 civilians to Ukraine. This exchange marks a significant step in ongoing negotiations between the two nations.
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets confirmed his presence during the exchange, where he met with his Russian counterpart, Tatyana Moskalkova. The two officials exchanged lists of missing persons and discussed future humanitarian efforts.
“I was physically present during the exchange. In addition to bringing our heroes back from Russian captivity, I once again negotiated with Moskalkova. We exchanged lists of those considered missing and discussed the next humanitarian steps, including the return of civilians,” Lubinets stated.
Lubinets reported that the seven civilians released had been detained by Russian forces since 2022 and faced no criminal charges. He noted that these individuals had spent almost four years in captivity without formal accusations.
“They were held under conditions similar to those of Ukrainian military prisoners and experienced both physical and psychological torture,” he explained. One civilian was reportedly detained at a checkpoint while attempting to reach Mariupol to retrieve his father. Others among the released included men from Kherson, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions.
According to Lubinets, all returned prisoners exhibited health issues. He recounted one case where a released individual was in a semi-conscious state and required assistance due to a severe head injury.
“We continue to document that the conditions in which Russians hold our military and civilians do not comply with the Geneva Conventions or any basic understanding of humane treatment. The daily torture they endure is unacceptable,” he added.
Lubinets expressed cautious optimism regarding future exchanges, stating, “I do not want to speculate, but I hope this is the first of several Easter exchanges. While I cannot confirm if it will be the first and last, there is a positive feeling that we are making progress with the help of our international partners.”
Prior to the exchange, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hopes for continued exchanges with Russia in the near future. Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, indicated that Ukraine has been working to secure the return of a significantly larger number of prisoners than the 182 who returned on April 11, suggesting that this could be just the beginning of a larger exchange initiative.
Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange on April 11, returning 182 individuals, including 175 military personnel and 7 civilians. Ukrainian officials reported on the conditions of the returned individuals and expressed hopes for future exchanges.