Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, stated that while agreements on prisoner exchanges are often not fully implemented, the process continues to advance. He made these remarks during the Security Architecture Forum 2026.
Budanov indicated that an exchange of military prisoners is expected soon. However, he acknowledged the complexities surrounding the exchange of civilians for military personnel, noting that the number of civilians held by Russia is significantly lower than the number of military personnel in captivity.
“Regarding exchanges, I believe you will see a military prisoner exchange in the near future. As for civilians, this is a difficult issue because exchanging civilians for military personnel is somewhat inappropriate. We do not have as many civilians as are held hostage by the Russian Federation for understandable reasons. Nonetheless, we are gradually managing to return some of them,”
he stated.
He emphasized that the mechanism for returning all prisoners is a top priority, with all responsible entities working towards this goal.
“This is the President’s directive, and we are all trying to fulfill it. I believe that ultimately we will return everyone,”
Budanov added.
On May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that preparations for a 1,000-for-1,000 military prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia were underway.
Zelensky noted that the agreement was facilitated by the United States, and expressed hope that the American side would play an active role in ensuring the agreements are upheld.
The Ukrainian Coordinating Headquarters reported that Ukraine had provided Russia with a list of 1,000 prisoners, compiled based on the length of time Ukrainian defenders have been in captivity.
On May 15, Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange, resulting in the return of 205 defenders to Ukraine. This marked the first stage of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange facilitated by the United States.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Human Rights Commissioner, also reported the successful return of a defender who had been convicted in Russia and subsequently pardoned.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, addressed the complexities and ongoing efforts regarding prisoner exchanges, emphasizing a recent military exchange facilitated by the U.S. He noted the challenges in exchanging civilians and reiterated the commitment to return all prisoners.