March 6, 2026

Russia and Ukraine Exchange POWs in a "300 on 300" Format

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 300 prisoners of war each, reported Irina Krynin, coordinator of the "Nash Vykhod" movement, who was present at the exchange to "Novaya Gazeta Europe". "The second day of POW exchanges within the framework of agreements in Geneva has concluded. Today, another 300 servicemen of the Russian army, who were held captive in Ukraine, returned to Russia. In total, over two days of exchanges, 500 servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were released from captivity," Krynin stated. Citing data from the Ukrainian state project "Khochu nayti," she reported that 54% of the military personnel who returned to Russia today were captured in 2025, and 43% in 2024. "Several POWs spent no more than two months in captivity. Meanwhile, hundreds of POWs remain in captivity, awaiting exchange since 2022," added the coordinator of the "Nash Vykhod" movement. Among those exchanged today, 53 people were captured in the Pokrovskoye direction, Krynin said. Others were captured during combat operations in the Chuguevsky and Kupyansky districts of the Kharkiv region, Bakhmutsky and Kramatorsky districts of the Donetsk region, and also in the Kursk region. The average age of the Russian servicemen involved in this exchange is 45 years. "Many of them may face disappointment upon their return to Russia: instead of their homes, they will find barracks in a military unit near Moscow, and then they will be sent back to their units and again to the front. Hundreds of Russians whose relatives were exchanged earlier and whose command is again trying to send them to fight have already contacted "Nash Vykhod"," said the movement's coordinator. "Kommersant" also reported on the exchange, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War and the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, have not yet confirmed today's exchange. On the eve of March 5, Ukraine and Russia exchanged 200 prisoners of war each. The countries reached agreements on a large-scale exchange at negotiations in Geneva, reported the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky.