Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 11, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 11, 2026
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Ukraine and Russia swapped 175 personnel each—including 175 Ukrainian servicemen and seven civilians returned to Kyiv—on April 11, 2026, ahead of a 32‑hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, under a UAE‑mediated arrangement.
KYIV, April 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia exchanged 175 prisoners of war each on Saturday in their latest swap, officials from both countries said, as they prepare to start a ceasefire to mark Orthodox Easter.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine had brought home 175 servicemen and seven civilians from Russian captivity. He said the Ukrainian servicemen had defended the country on different fronts from the east to the south and most of them had been in captivity in Russia since 2022.
Russia's Defence Ministry said the United Arab Emirates had mediated the exchange. Russia took back 175 servicemen and also seven civilians originally from the Kursk region, the ministry said.
During more than four years of war https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-russia-war/, Kyiv and Moscow have carried out regular POW exchanges. They are among the few concrete results to emerge from several rounds of U.S.-brokered peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which remain stalled over the issue of territory.
As both Ukraine and Russia celebrate Orthodox Easter this weekend, the countries have agreed on a short, 32-hour ceasefire to mark the holiday.
Russia said the ceasefire would begin at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Saturday and end at midnight on Sunday.
Zelenskiy said he and his army chief had discussed the procedures for Ukrainian troops under the ceasefire.
"The absence of Russian strikes in the air, on land, and at sea will mean no response from our side," he said.
"A ceasefire at Easter could also become the beginning of real movement toward peace – our side has made the corresponding proposal."
(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Alexander Smith and Gareth Jones)
Both Ukraine and Russia exchanged 175 servicemen each, along with seven civilians from each side.
The swap was part of ongoing POW exchanges, marking cooperation ahead of a ceasefire for Orthodox Easter.
The United Arab Emirates acted as mediator for this latest prisoner exchange.
The ceasefire is set to last 32 hours, from 4 p.m. Saturday until midnight Sunday.
Ukraine has signaled the Easter ceasefire could be a step toward broader peace, with no military strikes during the truce.
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