In this video grab taken from a handout footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry on May 24, 2025, a Russian prisoner of war (POW) reacts as he takes his seat in a bus following an exchange at an undisclosed location in Belarus. Russia and Ukraine exchanged 307 POWs from each country on May 24, 2025, the Russian defence ministry said on the second day of the biggest prisoner swap in more than three years. Both sides are expected to exchange 1,000 each in total under an agreement reached at direct talks in Istanbul the previous week. No AFP photographer was given access to the event and the images of Russian prisoners of war were provided by the Russian Defence Ministry. (Photo by Russian Defence Ministry / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY” – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS – AFP CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OR LOCATION, DATE, AND CONTENT OF THESE IMAGES. /
Russia said Sunday it had exchanged another 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war for the same number of Russian soldiers held by Kyiv — the last phase of the largest-ever such swap between the warring countries.
“In accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached in Istanbul on May 16, the Russian and Ukrainian sides have (over the weekend) carried out the exchange of 1,000 people for 1,000 people,” Russia’s defence ministry said, amid international pressure for a ceasefire.
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