Premium

Russia and Ukraine swap 205 prisoners under Trump-brokered ceasefire deal

The prisoner swap was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, Moscow said.

A Ukrainian soldier hugs a woman after returning from captivity during a POW exchange between Russia and Ukraine. (AP)

1 min readMay 15, 2026 02:36 PM IST First published on: May 15, 2026 at 02:36 PM IST

Russia and Ukraine on Friday exchanged 205 prisoners of war each as part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Earlier, Trump had announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire from May 9 to May 11. The temporary truce coincided with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Trump said both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had accepted his proposal for a pause in fighting.

As part of the agreement, both sides also agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each during the three-day ceasefire.

# Trump