Browsing: prisoner exchange

The Russian Defense Ministry statement served as the sole source of the exchange figures in the accounts reviewed. No independent confirmation of the numbers was cited in the source material, and the Ukrainian government did not issue a statement included in the available accounts. The exchange was described by Sputnik as taking place according to the 270 for 270 formula [1].

Russian Servicemen Moved to Belarus

The same processing sequence has been described by the ministry in previous exchanges. In its June 26 statement on a 160-for-160 swap, the ministry said the returned Russian soldiers were in Belarus receiving psychological and medical assistance, with transfer to Russia for further treatment planned, and Lantratova working with the freed soldiers [2].

The ministry did not disclose the location or condition of the 270 Ukrainian prisoners of war transferred to the Ukrainian side. Politico reported that Kyiv returned home 261 military personnel and nine civilians, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement [3].

UAE Cited as Mediation Party

The ministry’s statement did not characterize the arrangement as successful or significant, and it provided no further detail on the nature of the Emirati role. No statement from Emirati officials or Ukrainian officials was included in the ministry’s account.

The UAE has previously been identified in Russian ministry statements as a mediator in earlier exchanges. In the June 26 exchange of 160 servicemen per side, the swap was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, the ministry said in a statement, according to NaturalNews.com [2].

The October 23 statement did not name any mediator beyond the UAE, and no joint mediation role was described in the accounts reviewed.

Prior Exchange Under 103-for-103 Formula

The Russian Defense Ministry said Russia and Ukraine previously exchanged prisoners of war under a 103-for-103 formula on August 19. In a statement published on social media, the ministry said that 103 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime, and in exchange, 103 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war were transferred to Kyiv, according to RT [4].

The ministry said the returned Russian servicemen were also in Belarus at that time, where they were receiving psychological and medical assistance, with Lantratova working with them [4]. The August statement also cited the same processing sequence described in the October 23 statement: psychological and medical assistance, then transport to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation.

Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova later confirmed the sequence of exchanges. NaturalNews.com reported in August that Lantratova had accused Ukraine of blocking prisoner exchanges by refusing to accept lists of its own citizens prepared for repatriation, with Moscow claiming it was ready to release 224 Ukrainian nationals immediately in exchange for Russians held by Kyiv, including residents of Donbass and Crimea [5].

Conclusion

Both exchanges were announced by the Russian Defense Ministry. The figures and details come from the Russian Defense Ministry statement, with Lantratova working with returned personnel in Belarus.

The Ukrainian government did not issue a statement included in the source material reviewed, and no further details on the transferred Ukrainian prisoners were provided in the Russian ministry’s account.

References

1. Russia and Ukraine Exchange PoWs 270 for 270. https://sputnikglobe.com/20261023/russia-ukraine-exchange-pows-270-for-270-1124928457.html
2. Russia and Ukraine Exchange 160 Prisoners of War in Latest Swap – NaturalNews.com, June 29, 2026.
3. Ukraine and Russia each exchange 270 prisoners of war. https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-russia-exchange-270-prisoners-war-zelenskyy-putin-trump/
4. Russia and Ukraine exchange 103 POWs – MOD (VIDEO). https://www.rt.com/russia/644394-russia-ukraine-103-pow-exchange/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS
5. Russia accuses Kyiv of blocking prisoner exchanges, prioritizing “PR” over human life – NaturalNews.com, August 14, 2026.

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