Kyiv and Moscow have reportedly agreed to a systematic exchange of prisoners in 2025.
Defenders of the city of Mariupol and of the Azovstal steel plant in southeastern Ukraine are among the 25 prisoners released by Russia in a reciprocal prisoner exchange, the first of 2025.
The freed prisoners include both military personnel and civilians, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “Many of them have serious injuries and illnesses, and each will receive all the necessary medical care,” he wrote on X.
“I am grateful to the team that searches for our people and organizes this important work. We extend our gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for their assistance in making today’s event possible,” the president added.
Mariupol was besieged by the Russian army in May 2022, when the last soldiers defending the city’s Azovstal steelworks were evacuated.
The Russian Defense Ministry also announced that 25 Russian servicemen had been returned from Ukraine and were being sent first to Belarus, where they will receive psychological and medical care and contact their families.
In early January, Ukrainian ombudsman Dmitro Lubinets reported the existence of a preliminary agreement with the Russians for a systematic exchange of prisoners in 2025. Lubinets said the two countries will prioritize the return of captives who are seriously ill and wounded.
“We will see if the Russian side keeps its word,” Lubinets added in an interview.
Veronika Melkozerova contributed reporting to this story.
