Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that 175 Ukrainian military personnel and seven civilians were released by Russia in a prisoner exchange. However, multiple reports indicate that Ukraine and Russia exchanged 175 prisoners of war each on April 11, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, which confirmed that 175 Russian soldiers were returned from areas controlled by the Kiev regime and 175 Ukrainian prisoners were handed over. Other sources present different figures: the Russian army claimed that Kiev and Moscow exchanged 300 prisoners of war from each side on Friday, with 200 from each side exchanged on Thursday, bringing the total number of people exchanged by each side since Thursday to 500.
Meanwhile, Gulf Today reported that the latest prisoner exchange included 246 Ukrainian captives and 246 Russian captives, plus 31 wounded Ukrainians and 15 wounded Russians, and the Russian defence ministry separately said it swapped 150 Ukrainian soldiers for an equal number of Russian troops. These discrepancies leave the exact total number of prisoners exchanged in the latest UAE-mediated swap unclear, with numbers ranging from 300 to 538 individuals, and it is also uncertain whether the seven civilians mentioned by Zelenskyy are included in the 175 count or separate, affecting humanitarian assessments. This exchange represents one of the biggest prisoner swaps since the full-scale invasion began, with research indicating it was the 59th such exchange.
Most of the prisoners have been in captivity since 2022, according to Zelenskyy, and the released individuals participated in battles on several of the war's most intense fronts, as reported by multiple sources. Those released included defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and Snake Island, Zelenskyy said, and on the Ukrainian side, they comprised soldiers, border guards, National Guardsmen, and Navy servicemen, according to research. Many had been in captivity for more than two-and-a-half years, and some returned with serious illnesses and injuries, Ukrainian officials noted, highlighting the prolonged ordeal faced by captives.
The United Arab Emirates and the US participated in mediating this exchange, Moscow stated, with the UAE expressing appreciation to Russia and Ukraine for their cooperation with UAE mediation, according to research. This success marks the third of its kind within a month in the framework of Emirati mediation diplomacy, Al-Ain media reported. However, diplomatic efforts face challenges, as a new tripartite meeting was expected this week before being suspended indefinitely due to the war in the Middle East, multiple reports indicate.
In a related development, Abdullah bin Zayed held phone calls with several foreign ministers to discuss regional developments following Iran's unprovoked and terrorist missile attacks targeting the UAE and several countries, research shows, underscoring broader regional tensions. Reactions to the exchange included emotional reunions for freed prisoners. The BBC was present as freed Ukrainians were reunited with their loved ones in northern Ukraine, according to research.
11 of the Azov Brigade's men were returned in the swap.
On the Russian side, the Russian defence ministry said newly-released Russian troops were in Belarus and were being given medical assistance and the chance to contact their families. Historically, prisoner exchanges have been a recurring feature of the conflict, with negotiations becoming more difficult in recent months due to Russian advances on the battlefield, officials in Kyiv said. In February, Kiev and Moscow exchanged 157 prisoners of war from each side, the first exchange of this type since October 2025, multiple reports indicate.
This context shows a pattern of intermittent swaps amid ongoing hostilities, with the latest exchange reflecting continued diplomatic engagement despite battlefield pressures. Despite this release, thousands more Ukrainians remain in captivity in Russia and occupied parts of Ukraine, research confirms. Ukraine does not publish numbers of prisoners of war held by Russia, but the total is thought to be more than 8,000, according to research.
This ongoing captivity situation underscores the humanitarian scale of the conflict, with many families still awaiting news of their loved ones. In a separate development, a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is planned to begin on Saturday in connection with Orthodox Easter celebrations, multiple reports indicate. Russia announced an Easter truce in the war from Saturday to Sunday, Al-Ain media reported.
However, the current status of the planned ceasefire for Orthodox Easter remains uncertain, as conflicting reports on exchange timing—such as whether 175 prisoners were exchanged on April 11 or multiple swaps occurred on Thursday and Friday—add to the ambiguity. The mediation challenges highlighted by the suspended tripartite meeting reflect broader implications for regional conflicts. Key unknowns persist beyond the prisoner numbers.
The specific dates that the exchanges reported by Midi Libre occurred on are not clearly confirmed, adding to confusion about the timeline of recent events. Additionally, the total number of Ukrainians actually returned in the latest exchange is disputed, with Zelenskyy stating in a press conference that 189 Ukrainians had returned home, conflicting with other reports of 277 or 175, raising questions about accuracy and reliability of sources. Further details emerged from the exchange, including that 11 of the Azov Brigade's men were returned in the swap, Azov Brigade commander Denys Prokopenko said in a social media post.
Zelenskyy also noted in a press conference that two civilians captured in Mariupol were among those released. These specifics highlight the diverse backgrounds of the freed individuals, though the overall picture remains clouded by contradictory figures and ongoing uncertainties in the conflict.