Russia and Ukraine swap 270 people each; Kyiv says nine returnees were civilians

Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange on Friday, October 23, with both sides reporting that 270 people returned. The public breakdowns differ: Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters says 261 service members and nine civilians came home, while Russia’s Defence Ministry described its 270 returnees as servicemen. Reuters reported the exchange based on statements from both governments; the UAE says it helped mediate the deal. Most of the Ukrainian service members had been held since 2022, and many were captured during the defense of Mariupol, Kyiv’s Coordination Headquarters says. The group includes five people who survived the July 2022 attack on the Olenivka prison barracks, where dozens of Ukrainian prisoners were killed. Ukraine’s human-rights commissioner also said 86 of those returned had been convicted by Russian courts and one had faced criminal prosecution; that characterization comes from the Ukrainian side. The Ukrainian returnees are due to receive medical examinations, treatment and rehabilitation. Russia said its returning servicemen were in Belarus for medical and psychological assistance before going home. The UAE Foreign Ministry described this as its 27th mediation effort involving exchanges and said the two governments cooperated in the process. Prisoner exchanges remain one of the few channels of practical cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv while the wider war continues. The next exchange date, the full names of those returned and the circumstances of any individual detention have not been publicly detailed. Reuters’ account of both sides’ statements is [here](https://www.investing.com/news/world-news/russia-and-ukraine-swap-270-prisoners-each-4969951). Ukraine’s [Coordination Headquarters](https://gur.gov.ua/content/vidbuvsia-tretii-etap-cherhovoho-obminu-viiskovopolonenymy-dodomu-povertaiutsia-270-ukraintsiv.html) provides the Ukrainian breakdown and return arrangements; the [UAE Foreign Ministry](https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/MediaHub/News/2026/10/23/UAE-Russia-Ukraine) confirms its mediation role. President Zelenskyy’s [original announcement](https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/21483) is available on Telegram. ~worldnews ~ukraine ~russia