Russia sent Ukraine 65 civilians slated for deportation in major prisoner exchange

In a prisoner exchange held from May 23 to 25, Russia sent Ukraine 65 prisoners who were set to be deported to Ukraine regardless of the swap, Suspilne reported on May 30.

Ukraine and Russia held a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange from May 23 to 25 after previously agreeing to the exchange at peace talks on May 16. Aside from yielding a prisoner exchange, the peace negotiations in Istanbul were largely inconclusive.

The majority of those exchanged were prisoners of war in Russia's war against Ukraine. 880 of 1,000 were military personnel. 120 of those returned were civilians held in Russian captivity, 65 of whom were set to be deported to Ukraine regardless of the prisoner exchange.

15 of the prisoners were serving sentences. Meanwhile, 50 of the exchanged prisoners were indefinitely held in detention facilities for foreigners not permitted to stay in Russia, awaiting deportation to Ukraine, Suspilne reported.

While in captivity, the prisoners were offered freedom and Russian citizenship if they fought on behalf of Russia in its war against Ukraine.

"We were lucky. But it would have been better if the guys who fought had been given up instead of us," one of the released prisoners said.

Many of the released prisoners were returned to Ukraine without their legal documents, including passports.

Russia regularly convicts people of politically motivated charges in an effort to silence opposition to its war against Ukraine.

On April 18, a court in St. Petersburg sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to two years and eight months in a penal colony for allegedly "discrediting" the Russian army.

Kozyreva was arrested on Feb. 24, 2024, after she affixed a verse from Taras Shevchenko’s "My Testament" to his statue in St. Petersburg.

Another case was filed against her in August after she gave an interview to Radio Free Europe in which she denounced Russia’s war in Ukraine as "monstrous" and "criminal."