Budanov says major Ukraine–Russia prisoner exchange could happen within a week
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov told journalists that a large mutual prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia could take place in the coming days, possibly next week (September 28 – October 4). He gave no details on numbers or names. The announcement follows the August 19 return of 103 Ukrainian servicemen and an August 24 special stage that brought back 10 personnel previously listed as missing.
Key points
- Budanov said a major exchange could happen "within a week," referring to September 28 – October 4.
- The last full exchange was on August 19, when 103 Ukrainian servicemen came home.
- A special stage on August 24 returned 10 more personnel, all previously listed as missing.
- Since February 24, 2022, 9,716 Ukrainians have been returned from Russian captivity, the ombudsman says.
- Azov commander Denys Prokopenko says over 600 Mariupol defenders and 46 Olenivka POWs remain held.
Why it matters
A large exchange would directly affect hundreds of Ukrainian families and carries political weight during the war. Budanov's tentative window — the week of September 28 – October 4 — gives a rare near-term timeframe from a senior official, while unresolved cases such as the Mariupol defenders and Olenivka prisoners underline how much remains unfinished.
What happened
On September 27, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, told Novyny.LIVE that a major mutual prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia could happen within the next week. When asked if he meant the following week, he replied: "We hope so." He provided no figures or other details. The statement came after the August 19 exchange, which returned 103 Ukrainian servicemen, and an August 24 special stage that brought back 10 personnel who had been listed as missing. According to Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, 9,716 Ukrainians have been returned from Russian captivity since February 24, 2022. Brigadier General Denys (Redis) Prokopenko of the Azov 1st Corps said no Azov or other Mariupol-defending National Guard members were freed on August 19 and that more than 600 such fighters remain in captivity.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree on which branches of the military were represented among the 103 returnees of the August 19 exchange: some list only the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service, while others add the Naval Forces and the Territorial Defense Forces and note that several officers were included.
Background
The previous full exchange on August 19 returned 103 servicemen, with a special stage on August 24 bringing back 10 more personnel who had been considered missing. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported on July 1 that Russia is holding 46 POWs from Olenivka, and in August said 79 previously missing service members had been located. Azov commander Denys Prokopenko said more than 600 Mariupol defenders remain in Russian captivity and called on the state to change its approach to their release.