Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange on Saturday, April 11, 2026, with each side releasing 175 prisoners of war, officials confirmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that his country brought home 175 servicemen and seven civilians who had been held in Russian captivity, many since 2022. "Most had been in captivity since 2022. And finally, they are home," Zelenskiy posted on social media.

Russia's Defense Ministry stated that 175 Russian servicemen were repatriated in exchange for 175 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. The ministry added that seven civilians from Russia's Kursk region, captured during Ukraine's 2024 incursion, were also returned. The United Arab Emirates mediated the swap, marking another instance of third-party facilitation in prisoner exchanges.

The exchange occurred just before a 32-hour ceasefire took effect at 4 p.m. Moscow time on Saturday, set to run until midnight Sunday to coincide with Orthodox Easter on April 12. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the truce on Thursday as a humanitarian gesture, while Zelenskiy said Ukraine would observe it on a "silence to silence and fire to fire" basis and proposed extending it if Russia halted strikes.

Andrii Yusov, a Ukrainian defense intelligence spokesman, described the swap as "a real success, a very significant achievement," noting the ordeal faced by those freed, some of whom required ambulances upon return. Footage showed Ukrainian prisoners arriving by bus to emotional welcomes from relatives holding photos of other captives.

Such swaps have become one of the few areas of cooperation amid more than four years of war, following U.S.-brokered talks that stalled over territorial disputes. A previous exchange occurred on March 6 in a 300-for-300 format.

As Orthodox Easter services proceeded today, both sides reported ceasefire violations. Ukraine's military claimed 2,299 breaches by Russia by early Sunday, including drone strikes that killed at least three people overnight into Saturday. Russia countered with accusations of 1,971 Ukrainian violations. The truce, now in its final hours as of Sunday afternoon, appeared fragile, echoing past holiday pauses marred by mutual recriminations.

Zelenskiy reiterated that "Easter should be a time of silence and safety," while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized pursuing a comprehensive settlement. The returned prisoners are undergoing medical and psychological care in Belarus before heading home.