Russia and Ukraine Exchange 270 Prisoners of War Each
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 270 prisoners of war each on October 23, 2026, according to Reuters, which reported the figure from Russian state media.
Ukrainian officials said 261 Ukrainian service members and nine civilians returned home in the exchange, as Yahoo News reported. A prisoner of war, or POW, is a person captured by the opposing side during an armed conflict, and swaps of this kind are one of the few channels through which captives on both sides return.
Ukraine's work on these cases runs through the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, an official Ukrainian government body set up on March 11, 2022. According to its website, the headquarters is responsible for searching for and returning Ukrainian prisoners of war. It is also responsible for the treatment of enemy prisoners held by Ukraine.
The headquarters has also recorded a sharp increase in fraud targeting families of prisoners of war and of people listed as missing, according to a Ukrainian government notice. Such schemes typically involve people who claim to have information or can secure a family member's release in return for money.
The question of how captured enemy fighters should be handled has also drawn public attention. A New York Times article published on October 26 addresses how Ukraine should treat Russian prisoners of war. Its headline reads "To Work With P.O.W.s, Ukrainians Suppress Feelings About the Enemy."
