Ukraine, Russia free 200 POWs each in latest swap amid stalled peace talks

News | Russia-Ukraine war Ukraine, Russia free 200 POWs each in latest swap amid stalled peace talks Exchange comes amid a deadlock in US-brokered negotiations to end the four-year war between the two countries. Listen to this article | 3 mins By Al Jazeera Staff , AFP and Reuters Published On 5 Mar 2026 5 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media Share Save Add Al Jazeera on Google Ukraine and Russia have freed 200 prisoners of war each, officials from the two countries said, as efforts to reach a deal to end their four-year conflict appear to have stalled. Thursday’s release is part of an exchange agreed during talks in Geneva last month that will see a total of 500 POWs freed by each side, Ukrainian and Russian officials said, with the remaining 300 expected to be released on Friday. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attack as gas tanker sinks in Mediterranean list 2 of 3 Where are Iran’s allies? Why Moscow, Beijing are keeping their distance list 3 of 3 ‘Our children were sold off’: The South Africans sent to fight Russia’s war end of list “Today, 200 Ukrainian families received the most-awaited message – their loved ones are coming home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a social media post. “And this is always good news for all of us, for the entire country: the return of our people to their homeland,” added Zelenskyy , thanking the United States “for its support in making this exchange possible”. Video footage shared by Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets showed servicemen leaving buses, wrapped in Ukrainian flags and shouting “Glory to Ukraine!”, before embracing loved ones who came to welcome them. The Russian Defence Ministry also published footage showing its soldiers boarding a bus and cheering while draped in Russian flags. Kyiv and Moscow have carried out regular POW exchanges throughout the war, which hit the four-year mark in February. United States-brokered negotiations ...