Even after Ukraine lower diplomatic ties with Russia in 2022, prisoner exchanges have continued as one of many few remaining channels of communication between the 2 nations.
Negotiated behind closed doorways and carried out irregularly, POW swaps — and the selections surrounding them — have lengthy been shrouded in secrecy. Controversies have repeatedly erupted in Ukraine over whether or not Kyiv is doing sufficient to carry again its folks and which POWs it prioritizes.
For the reason that begin of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has constantly proposed an "all-for-all" change, which Russia has thus far rejected.
As of early June, Ukraine has introduced house over 5,700 folks – together with each troopers and civilians – by greater than 65 exchanges since Feb. 24, 2022. 1000’s of Ukrainians stay in Russian captivity, with the battle for his or her launch nonetheless ongoing.
"Our job is to carry again (all POWs) earlier than the battle ends," Petro Yatsenko, a spokesperson for the Coordination Headquarters for the Therapy of Prisoners of Conflict, instructed the Kyiv Impartial.
"The battle is dragging on, Russia doesn’t need peace, so our job is to prepare exchanges as rapidly as attainable."
A document variety of folks have been launched in latest weeks following peace talks in Istanbul in Could-June — the primary direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022. Although no political breakthrough was reached, either side agreed to a phased change of prisoners and the return of fallen troopers' stays.
Not less than yet one more spherical of change is anticipated between Ukraine and Russia as a part of the Istanbul settlement within the close to future.
Right here's every part that you must find out about prisoner swaps between Ukraine and Russia.
POW exchanges earlier than full-scale invasion
Throughout the battle in Donbas from 2014 to 2022, prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia have been far much less frequent than they’re now, with round 3,500 folks launched in eight years, in response to Yatsenko.
The swaps included each Ukrainian troopers and civilians held in Russia and in occupied territories and have been largely dealt with by Ukraine's Safety Service (SBU). The Coordination Headquarters for the Therapy of Prisoners of Conflict was solely established in March 2022.
Probably the most distinguished exchanges occurred in September 2019, a number of months after President Volodymyr Zelensky took workplace.
Again then, Ukraine secured the discharge of 35 folks, together with filmmaker Oleh Sentsov and 24 Ukrainian sailors illegally captured close to the Kerch Strait.
Sentsov was one of the high-profile political prisoners held by Russia. He was arrested in Crimea in 2014 by the Russian authorities and later sentenced to twenty years in jail on trumped-up terrorism prices, which have been internationally acknowledged as politically motivated.
For the reason that begin of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has constantly proposed an "all-for-all" change, which Russia has thus far refused.
Forms of POW exchanges and their frequency
There's no single fastened formulation for prisoner swaps — every change is exclusive and is dependent upon the circumstances, in response to Yatsenko.
The Headquarters refused to reveal which aspect usually initiates exchanges, citing the delicate nature of the knowledge.
In contrast to Ukraine, Russia doesn’t have one authorities physique tasked with negotiating and organizing prisoner exchanges. In response to Bohdan Orkhymenko, head of the secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for the Therapy of Prisoners of Conflict, the Russian aspect usually contains representatives of the Russian Protection Ministry, the Federal Safety Service (FSB), the Federal Penitentiary Service, and, typically, Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatyana Moskalkova.
If there’s a political settlement on the variety of troopers to launch, negotiations transfer ahead sooner. If there isn’t a political settlement – which is extra typically the case – the quantity is agreed upon by the Headquarters and the Russian aspect. Yatsenko couldn’t share the main points of how the perimeters resolve on the variety of POWs for every change.
Main as much as every change, Ukraine offers the lists of all Ukrainians thought of to be in captivity or lacking, requesting their return from Russia.
Ukraine has recorded over 70,000 folks as lacking, the vast majority of them troopers, in response to Artur Dobroserdov, the commissioner for individuals lacking underneath particular circumstances.
Some exchanges take weeks or months of negotiations, typically involving a number of parallel negotiation tracks, in response to Yatsenko. However in instances just like the latest 1,000-for-1,000 change agreed upon throughout Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul, there have been “no actual negotiations.”
"Both sides merely handed over an inventory, and everybody listed was exchanged," Yatsenko says. "We retrieved all Ukrainian residents, and the Russians took everybody we supplied them."
Nonetheless, the variety of POWs launched by Ukraine and Russia isn’t all the time equal.
Generally, exchanging only one particular person can safe the discharge of a whole lot of defenders — like within the prisoner swap that occurred in September 2022, when over 200 Ukrainian POWs returned house in change for Viktor Medvedchuk, Ukraine's most high-profile pro-Kremlin politician and Russian President Vladimir Putin's former right-hand man within the nation.
Medvedchuk was arrested two months into the full-scale invasion on prices of excessive treason.
Yatsenko stated that Russia initially needed to change Medvedchuk for just one particular person, and it required important negotiation abilities from the Ukrainian aspect to safe the 200-for-one deal.
In the identical change, 5 high commanders from the Azovstal protection — Ukraine's last stronghold in the course of the Russian siege of Mariupol within the spring of 2022 — have been swapped for 55 Russian POWs.
They have been initially taken to Ankara, Turkey. Though Zelensky said that they’d stay in Turkey "till the battle ends," the commanders, together with Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov Brigade, returned house in July 2023.
There's no set schedule for the way typically exchanges happen both.
Between August 2023 and early January 2024, no prisoner exchanges occurred, which was the longest pause because the begin of the full-scale invasion. In response to Yatsenko, this was as a consequence of deliberate delays by the Russian aspect.
"We will solely speculate concerning the causes, however we imagine Russia aimed to destabilize the inner scenario in Ukraine or to impress households of POWs into protesting or organizing mass actions," says Yatsenko. "They needed to strain the Ukrainian authorities this fashion."
Proper now, there's a really "constructive development" of exchanges taking place one after one other, which implies the "possibilities of reuniting with family members are rising," says Yatsenko.
Variety of POWs and their detention areas
Ukraine doesn’t publicly disclose the variety of its troopers held in Russian captivity.
The important thing subject in figuring out all Ukrainian POWs is the dearth of Russia’s cooperation, in response to Yatsenko, who says that Moscow typically refuses to substantiate who they captured. That’s why Ukraine’s database of POWs contains lots of these whose captivity was corroborated by different former POWs however not essentially confirmed by Russia.
"They don't present any official affirmation of who they're holding, and plenty of of our individuals are listed as lacking. There's an opportunity a few of them are literally in captivity," Yatsenko says.
Ukraine additionally doesn’t disclose the variety of Russian troops it holds in its camps. Nonetheless, Yatsenko says there are "sufficient of them to hold out additional exchanges."
"Even large-scale swaps don't considerably have an effect on the general quantity," he provides.
Russian POWs in Ukraine are primarily held in 5 specialised camps arrange after the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Their areas aren’t disclosed for safety causes. Some detainees — primarily these underneath investigation for numerous crimes — are additionally held in pre-trial detention facilities, however the majority are stored within the POW camps.
Representatives of the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations, in addition to journalists, have entry to Russian POWs and the amenities the place they're held. ICRC inspections happen each two months and may final a number of days, in response to Yatsenko.
"We're totally open. Russia, then again, is totally closed off," he says. "They don't permit worldwide representatives, the UN, or the Crimson Cross. Entry is extraordinarily restricted."
Russia doesn't have any specialised camps for POWs that meet the requirements outlined within the Third Geneva Conference, in response to Yatsenko. The Coordination Headquarters has recognized and mapped 186 areas the place POWs and illegally detained civilians are being held.
"These 186 detention websites are scattered throughout an unlimited space — from the quickly occupied territories and past the Urals. There's even some proof that our individuals are being held in amenities in Belarus," Yatsenko says.
Torture in captivity
In contrast to Russian POWs held in Ukraine, Ukrainian prisoners in Russian captivity are routinely subjected to torture and inhumane therapy.
In response to the UN, over 95% of launched Ukrainian POWs have reported being tortured whereas in captivity.
Many described beatings, electrical shocks, extended stress positions, mock executions, and medical neglect, together with threats of loss of life or rape. Some have been starved, branded, or held in isolation for weeks.
In interviews with the Kyiv Impartial, former POWs additionally spoke of being severely punished for talking Ukrainian or exhibiting any indicators of nationwide id.
"They might threaten to chop off ears or a nostril, urgent a knife to the ear and beginning to lower it barely, inflicting bleeding, all meant to terrify and break the prisoners."
Probably the most infamous amenities is the detention heart in Taganrog, the place, in response to survivors, torture is a every day routine. Press officer of the Azov Brigade and former POW Artem Dubina, who was held there, says that POWs have been repeatedly crushed and electrocuted, typically till they misplaced consciousness, with little meals and virtually no medical take care of the wounded.
"They might threaten to chop off ears or a nostril, urgent a knife to the ear and beginning to lower it barely, inflicting bleeding, all meant to terrify and break the prisoners," Dubina instructed the Kyiv Impartial in Could.
Over 180 Ukrainian POWs are confirmed to have died in captivity because the begin of the full-scale invasion, many exhibiting indicators of torture or abuse, says Yatsenko.
"Sadly, we proceed to obtain the our bodies of our troopers, together with those that had been formally acknowledged as POWs by the ICRC," says Yatsenko.
Logistics of POW exchanges
For Ukrainian POWs, their return house is commonly stored secret by Russia till the final second.
Russia additionally typically makes use of the final second to bodily hurt Ukrainian POWs, as these launched from captivity say they have been transferred from their detention amenities with their palms and legs tightly certain, positioned shut collectively so that they couldn't transfer, and blindfolded.
"Generally prisoners are taken out to be exchanged however then despatched again, which might be seen as a type of torture or psychological strain," says Yatsenko.
Subsequently, Ukraine informs the households of Ukrainian POWs solely after their family members have arrived safely on Ukrainian territory.
"It is because we perceive that an change may not occur, and such information would solely trigger further struggling," Yatsenko says.
Russian POWs, against this, are notified that they are going to be exchanged forward of it.
The method itself takes place on border territory, with the time and site often stored secret for safety causes. As soon as again house, the launched prisoners can name their family members to share the excellent news.
Nonetheless, many members of the family of POWs arrive on the web site of change even with out figuring out whether or not their liked one is on the listing. Even when it doesn’t end in probably the most anticipated assembly, at the least they get an opportunity to ask the launched POWs for any details about their member of the family nonetheless in captivity.
After launch, Ukrainian defenders bear medical examinations and obtain therapy. They’re additionally granted go away, the size of which is dependent upon their well being situation.
As former POWs, they’ve the correct to depart navy service — but many select to return to the entrance and proceed preventing for his or her nation.
Overseas POWs
Identical to with Ukrainian troopers, Kyiv doesn’t disclose what number of overseas fighters are at the moment held in Russian captivity.
For the reason that begin of the full-scale invasion, Zelensky has referred to as on foreigners to hitch Ukraine in its battle for freedom, and plenty of have answered that decision – though the precise variety of overseas nationals serving in Ukraine's ranks stays undisclosed.
Ukraine's Worldwide Legion alone contains skilled fighters and freshmen from greater than 50 nations, together with the U.S., the U.Ok., Australia, and numerous nations throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, in response to Ukraine's navy intelligence.
In response to Yatsenko, Ukraine efficiently introduced again 10 overseas nationals in 2022. Since then, the nation has been cooperating with the embassies and diplomats of those people’ nations to make sure each can return house.
In contrast to Ukraine, Russia has made no seen makes an attempt to get well foreigners preventing on its behalf.
Yatsenko didn’t disclose the variety of foreigners in Ukrainian captivity however stated they have been from quite a few nations, together with African states, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Brazil, Slovakia, Yemen, and others.
Yatsenko says he doesn’t know of any instances when foreigners have been exchanged with Russia.
"Russia seems largely detached to the destiny of those folks," he says. "Perhaps they'll change their place in future talks, however they present no actual curiosity thus far."
The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko
Ukrainian civilians in captivity
Ukraine is preventing to carry house not solely POWs but additionally civilians illegally held captive by Russia.
As of December 2024, at the least 16,000 Ukrainian civilians have been held in Russian captivity, in response to Ukraine's Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets. The precise quantity is unknown since Russia doesn’t present details about civilians and blocks ICRC representatives from visiting them.
The quantity doesn’t embrace over 19,500 Ukrainian youngsters illegally deported to Russia because the begin of the full-scale invasion.
Solely a restricted variety of civilians have been launched since 2014, when Russia began its aggression towards Ukraine. Russia has "intentionally withheld the return of civilians" to serve its battle objectives, together with suppressing resistance in occupied territories, the Ombudsman's workplace instructed the Kyiv Impartial.
"Russia additionally refuses to barter their return, figuring out that every freed civilian can testify to its violations of worldwide regulation."
The discharge of civilians could be very troublesome as a result of Ukraine has no Russian civilians to change them for, in response to Lubinets. Yatsenko says that regardless that Russia ought to launch Ukrainian civilians with none circumstances, it hardly ever does.
The Headquarters launched a number of mechanisms to carry again civilians, together with the "I Need to Go to My Individuals" undertaking.
Underneath this initiative, convicted Ukrainian collaborators, already serving jail sentences for aiding the Kremlin, can apply to be transferred to Russia in change for unlawfully imprisoned Ukrainian civilians or troopers.
Whereas this mechanism has existed since summer time 2024, Russia has ignored it for a very long time, says Yatsenko. It was solely in the course of the newest large-scale change that over 70 collaborators have been transferred to Russia, permitting Ukraine to carry again its residents.
Ukraine hopes Russia will launch all civilians it holds illegally — and present extra curiosity in taking again those that served its pursuits — "to assist free Ukrainians from captivity and inhumane therapy," Yatsenko says.
Be aware from the creator:
Hello! Daria Shulzhenko right here. I wrote this piece for you. For the reason that first day of Russia's all-out battle, I’ve been working virtually continuous to inform the tales of these affected by Russia’s brutal aggression. By telling all these painful tales, we’re serving to to maintain the world knowledgeable concerning the actuality of Russia’s battle towards Ukraine. By turning into the Kyiv Impartial's member, you possibly can assist us proceed telling the world the reality about this battle.