Ukraine Russia conflict: greatest prisoner exchange despite attacks!

Ukraine Russia conflict: greatest prisoner exchange despite attacks!

On Sunday, May 25, 2025, Russia and Ukraine have carried out their greatest prisoner exchange so far since the beginning of the war. More than 300 people were released after the agreement was made in Istanbul on May 16. Overall, the exchange provides for exchanging 1,000 Russian prisoners for just as many Ukrainian prisoners. 390 prisoners were released on Friday, and 307 others followed on Saturday.

These progress come at a particularly tense time, since Ukrainian cities were massively attacked with drones and rockets the night before. At least three people died in these attacks and ten others were injured. The affected cities, including Kiev, Charkiw, Mykolajiw and Odessa, experienced a night in fear when Russian drone swarms and cruise missiles of the "Kalibr" type were used again.

severe attacks and civil losses

In addition, 15 people were injured in Kiev the same night, and numerous buildings were set on fire by the attacks. The Ukrainian government reported a total of around 250 drone attacks and 14 ballistic rocket attacks. The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj confirmed the need to bring back all persons captured in Russia and spoke out for stronger pressure on Russia.

On Saturday, the returnees were also 273, who had been captured in the Donetsk area, many of them since 2022. Russia also received the same number of prisoners, including soldiers and civilians from Belarus.

diplomatic efforts and peace ideas

President Selenskyj expressed his willingness to diplomacy, which is supposed to bring a result. At the same time, however, he rejected a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the annexed areas. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would like to present a declaration of intent to solve the conflict that is currently being worked out. This document is intended to treat the basic causes of the conflict as well as the perspectives for a possible peace treaty and a ceasefire.

In another context, Ljudmila Wassiljewa, an 84-year-old survivor of the Leningrad Blockade in World War II, was sentenced to a fine of 10,000 rubles (approx. 110 euros) in Russia. The court saw her pacifist statements, which she made in a vigil for the third anniversary of the Russian war of aggression, as defamation of the Russian army. Wassiljewa had a sign with the inscription "People! We end the war! We are responsible for peace on planet Earth". Human rights activists criticize the Russian judiciary, who themselves do not stop at veterans.

The judicial act against Wassiljewa shows the difficult circumstances for peaceful protests in Russia and the challenges that human rights activists look at. Despite the efforts to exchange a prisoner, the situation remains tense in both Ukraine and Russia, with persistent conflicts and civil displeasure

For more information about the current developments in the Ukraine conflict, see Welt and ZDF .