prisoner swap

Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine each release hundreds in large-scale prisoner swap

Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisoners on Sunday on the third day of a prisoner swap, making it the largest in more than three years of war.

25/05/2025

Ukraine

Russia is offering Ukrainian POWs to 'occupy Europe together’

Ukraine has submitted a list of POWs to Russia for a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap. Many Ukrainian soldiers have now spent over three years in Russian captivity, where they are often being tortured, abused and offered to "join Russian forces to then occupy Europe."

23/05/2025

No Comment

Families of Venezuelans detained in El Salvador protest in Caracas

Relatives of Venezuelans imprisoned in El Salvador held a protest outside the UN offices in Caracas on Tuesday, denouncing what they called “kidnappings” by Salvadoran authorities.

23/04/2025

USA

Ksenia Karelina returns to US after prisoner exchange with Russia

A former ballet dancer, the dual Russian-US national was among a growing number of Americans arrested in Russia as tensions between Moscow and Washington soared over the Kremlin's all-out war in Ukraine.

11/04/2025

Russia

Ksenia Karelina freed in latest US-Russia prisoner swap

A US-Russian dual national jailed in Russia for treason was freed in a prisoner exchange and is now on her way back to the US, Marco Rubio announced.

10/04/2025

Europe News

Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of prisoners of war

Zelenskyy said releasing all prisoners of war and captured civilians would be an important step toward peace.

20/03/2025

Afghanistan

Taliban-US prisoner swap: Two Americans exchanged for Afghan national

The Taliban described the exchange as a step toward normalising ties with the US, but broader recognition of the regime in Kabul remains unlikely.

21/01/2025

China

China releases three US citizens in rare prisoner swap

The three US nationals were swapped for four people, including three Chinese citizens who were returned to China.

28/11/2024

Europe News

My sister is slowly dying in Belarusian prison, says activist's family

Former flautist Maria Kolesnikova has been in jail in Belarus for four years, but her friends and family haven't heard from her since early 2023.

10/10/2024

Russia

Russian court sentences 72-year-old American for fighting in Ukraine

Russia sentenced 72-year-old American Stephen Hubbard to almost seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine's conflict.

07/10/2024

Europe News

Ilya Yashin: Putin's power is rooted in propaganda and use of force

Kremlin opponent Ilya Yashin, who was recently released in a massive prisoner exchange, spoke to Euronews about his time in Russian prison and told us what will bring Putin down.

14/08/2024

Russia

Former spies speak on Russian TV following massive prisoner exchange

Prisoners freed in the US-Russia prisoner swap have spoken since their release, but one expert warns "this doesn't mean that Russia has turned a corner".

06/08/2024

Germany

Prisoners freed from Russia give press conference in Germany

Russian opposition figures involved in the prisoner swap between Russia and Western countries addressed the press in Bonn on Friday. Sharing their hopes for a different Russia and pledging to continue their activism.

02/08/2024

Europe News

Gershkovich and others free after massive US-Russia prisoner swap

The highly speculated Russia-US prisoner swap also includes Russian-US journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, former US marine Paul Whelan, and Russian-British politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza.

01/08/2024

Europe News

Two Swedish citizens released by Iran arrive back in Stockholm

European Union diplomat Johan Floderus and another man, Saeed Azizi, were released by Iran in exchange for Iranian national Hamid Nouri who was convicted in Stockholm of committing war crimes over his part in 1988 mass executions in the Islamic Republic.

16/06/2024

Sweden

Iran and Sweden swap prisoners: a diplomat for a judiciary official

Iran released a Swedish diplomat arrested in 2022, whilst Sweden released an Iranian official convicted of war crimes in 1988.

15/06/2024

Ukraine

Ukraine and Russia trade accusations over fatal plane crash

Moscow says the aircraft was shot down by Kyiv military forces and has Ukrainian POWs on board. But Ukraine says it doubts they were on board.

26/01/2024

No Comment

Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners return home to families

Ten Israeli hostages — nine women and a 17-year-old girl — as well as two Thai nationals, were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza on Tuesday and were back in Israeli territory, the military said. About an hour later, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners.

29/11/2023

Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine send more than 200 troops home in prisoner swap

Such exchanges represent one of the few areas of cooperation between Ukraine and Russia. The two sides have returned hundreds of each other’s soldiers, as well as the bodies of fallen troops, since the war began.

10/04/2023

Europe News

Vandecasteele prisoner swap with Iran constitutional - Belgian court

Olivier Vandecasteele has been imprisoned since February last year.

03/03/2023