On April 24, Russia and Ukraine carried out another prisoner exchange, continuing a series of recent swaps between the two sides. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, 193 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime in exchange for the same number of captured Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.

The released Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological assistance. They are expected to be transferred to Russia for further treatment and rehabilitation at Defense Ministry facilities.

The ministry also noted that the exchange was conducted with humanitarian mediation from the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

This marks the third exchange in April alone. Earlier in the month, on April 9, the sides handed over the bodies of fallen soldiers: Ukraine received 1,000, while Russia recovered 41. Two days later, on April 11, another prisoner swap took place under a «175 for 175» arrangement.

Since the beginning of 2026, Moscow and Kiev have completed eight exchanges. In January and February, the focus was on returning the bodies of the dead. The first prisoner exchange of the year occurred on February 5, when both sides each repatriated 157 servicemen. That exchange ended a nearly five-month pause — the previous one had taken place in early October 2025 under a «185 for 185» formula.

Direct contacts between the two sides resumed in mid-May 2025 after a break of almost three years. Alongside statements about continuing efforts toward a ceasefire, the parties agreed on a large-scale «1000 for 1000» exchange. It was implemented in three stages: on May 23, each side exchanged 270 military personnel and 120 civilians, followed by further swaps on May 24 and 25 involving 307 and 303 individuals respectively.