Russia and Ukraine to exchange 500 prisoners of war

MOSCOW - Russia and Ukraine exchanged 200 prisoners of war on each side on Thursday and will swap another 300 each on Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The two sides have periodically traded POWs and returned bodies of dead soldiers - most recently last week - despite a lack of progress towards a peace agreement to end their four-year war.

Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are seen after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine, in this handout picture released March 5, 2026. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS

Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are seen after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine, in this handout picture released March 5, 2026. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy via Telegram/Handout via Reuters

Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are seen after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine, in this handout picture released March 5, 2026. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy via Telegram/Handout via Reuters

-Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Mark Trevelyan