Russia and Ukraine exchange 103 prisoners each

Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, each returning 103 captured soldiers to their respective sides, according to announcements from both governments. The swap, facilitated by humanitarian mediation from the United Arab Emirates, represents one of the few ongoing areas of cooperation between the warring nations as broader diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain stalled.

The Russian Defence Ministry stated that 103 Russian servicemen were returned from Ukrainian captivity. The freed soldiers are currently in Belarus, where they are receiving psychological and medical assistance, and will later be transported to Russia for rehabilitation at military hospitals. In a parallel operation, Ukraine secured the release of 103 of its own service members, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian returnees include soldiers from the Armed Forces, State Border Guard Service, and National Guard, who had been captured in seven frontline regions. Some had defended the port city of Mariupol during the 2022 siege, Zelensky noted.

Ukraine's Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, provided further details on the returning...