Russia and Ukraine have conducted one of the largest prisoner of war exchanges to date, involving a total of 500 people on both sides of the conflict. The process was accompanied by an unprecedented gesture from Vladimir Putin, who personally handed over two Ukrainian prisoners of Hungarian origin to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. These events have provoked a sharp reaction from Kyiv, which accuses Budapest and Moscow of manipulation and bypassing official diplomatic channels.

In March 2026

In March 2026, a significant breakthrough occurred on humanitarian issues concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine carried out

Russia and Ukraine carried out a mass exchange of <przypis title="PRISONERS OF WAR" opis="Persons captured by the armed forces of an adversary during an armed conflict, protected by the Geneva Convention

">prisoners of war, as a result

">prisoners of war, as a result of which 250 soldiers from each side returned home (500 people in total)

In March 2026, a significant breakthrough occurred on humanitarian issues concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine carried out a mass exchange of prisoners of war, as a result of which 250 soldiers from each side returned home (500 people in total). President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed this decision, emphasizing that the Ukrainian state will not forget any citizen remaining in captivity. Although this exchange is a significant point in the relations between the two states, it was overshadowed by parallel actions by the Kremlin directed straight at Budapest. During the visit of Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to Moscow, Vladimir Putin announced the release of two prisoners who hold Ukrainian citizenship but belong to the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. These men flew to Budapest on the same plane as the head of Hungarian diplomacy. Simultaneously, Szijjártó confirmed that he had reached an agreement with Putin on the continuity of energy supplies for Hungary, which, in light of EU sanctions, raises numerous controversies in Western Europe. Kyiv reacted to these reports with great indignation, accusing the government of Viktor Orbán of complicity in a Russian propaganda operation aimed at destabilizing Ukraine's unity. Since the start of the invasion in 2022, prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine have occurred irregularly, often mediated by the diplomacy of the United Arab Emirates or Turkey.Analysts point out that Putin's gesture towards Hungary has a deep political dimension and may constitute support for Prime Minister Orbán in domestic politics. The handover of prisoners directly to Hungarian representatives, bypassing Ukrainian state structures, is interpreted by Kyiv as a hostile act and a violation of international standards.

Mentioned People

  • Aleksander Łukaszenka — In Belarus, the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree on a new pardon on Tuesday and appointed him to a commission for contact with refugees abroad.
  • Jurija Chamutowski — In exchange, a group of 30 political prisoners was released, including, among others, the well-known country musician Yury Khamutowski, activist of the Belarusian Polish minority Mikołaj Struniec, and
  • Mikołaj Struniec — In exchange, a group of 30 political prisoners was released, including, among others, the well-known country musician Yury Khamutowski, activist of the Belarusian Polish minority Mikołaj Struniec, and
  • Siarhiej Paniatouski — In exchange, a group of 30 political prisoners was released, including, among others, the well-known country musician Yury Khamutowski, activist of the Belarusian Polish minority Mikołaj Struniec, and
  • Mariusz Kamiński — This morning, Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Mariusz Kamiński commented on the release of the prisoners.