Umerov on POW swap: Phased return of specific categories of POWs planned
Today, June 9, 2025, the first stage of a large-scale POW swap took place as part of the agreements reached in Istanbul.
This was announced on Facebook by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Censor.NET reports.
"Our defenders are already returning home — young men under the age of 25. It is an incredibly emotional moment and, at the same time, the result of coordinated efforts by the President of Ukraine, the negotiating team, the Defense Forces, diplomats, and our international partners," he emphasized.
According to Umerov, the Istanbul agreements provide for a phased process of returning specific categories of prisoners of war, including
- severely wounded service members;
- those with serious medical conditions;
- young soldiers under the age of 25
"This is only the beginning. The process will continue in the coming days. Negotiations are ongoing.
At the same time, an extremely sensitive and painful task is underway — the large-scale repatriation of the bodies of fallen soldiers. We are talking about bringing home, ‘on their shields,’ more than 6,000 Ukrainian defenders who gave their lives for Ukraine’s freedom. This process is also part of the agreements," the minister added.
"We are working every day to make the ‘all for all’ formula a reality. This is our strategic goal. Because the state must bring everyone home — both the living and the fallen," he concluded.
Earlier, President Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine and Russia had begun a prisoner exchange, which will continue in the coming days. According to the Coordination Headquarters, among those released today are defenders of Mariupol who spent over three years in captivity.
