Russia offers largest yet 630-for-630 POW swap to Ukraine

RFE/RL reported that Russia proposed the largest prisoner exchange since the war’s beginning on 27 November, suggesting a 630-for-630 swap between Russian and Ukrainian military personnel.

In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed 1,348 Russians were held in Ukrainian captivity, while 6,465 Ukrainians were allegedly in Russian captivity. A significant capture occurred in August when Ukrainian Armed Forces’ started their incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast resulted in hundreds of Russian soldiers, primarily conscripts, being taken prisoner. Meanwhile, multiple clips from the battlefields show that the Russian military increasingly frequently execute the Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced the proposal during a press conference, stating,

“We leave it to Ukraine to decide which Russian military personnel to include in the exchange,” she said, according to Ukrainian media reports.

RFE/RL notes that the proposal coincides with reports from pro-Ukrainian telegram channels claiming that Ukrainian Special Operations Forces captured several dozen Russian marines from an elite brigade in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Video footage allegedly showing prisoners identifying themselves as members of the 810th Marine Brigade has circulated online, though the Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on these claims.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet responded to Zakharova’s proposal. However, the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Readovka asserts that an exchange agreement with Ukraine has already been reached, according to RFE/RL.

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