Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that the active advance of Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region is prompting the Russians to conduct prisoner exchanges with Ukraine more frequently.
According to the ISW report, only three prisoner exchanges took place between Russia and Ukraine from January 1 to August 6, 2024. However, since the onset of the offensive in the Kursk region in early August and up until October 18, there have been three additional exchanges.
The analysts assert that the capture of part of the Kursk region has encouraged the Russian side to engage more actively in prisoner exchanges. During the last three exchanges, 267 Ukrainian servicemen were successfully returned.
The latest prisoner exchange
The recent exchange occurred on the night of October 19, when Ukraine and Russia conducted their 58th prisoner swap. A total of 95 Ukrainian defenders returned home, including 34 fighters from the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov," who had spent over 2.5 years in captivity.
The released military personnel participated in the defense of Mariupol, "Azovstal," and fought in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kherson regions. Among them are National Guardsmen, naval servicemen, Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel, border guards, and representatives of other units.
This exchange holds particular significance, as many of those freed are Ukrainians who received unlawful sentences and were convicted: 28 defenders were given lengthy prison terms, while 20 received life sentences.