Andrey Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, stated that during the prisoner exchange on January 31 between Kyiv and Moscow, the list of previously exchanged Ukrainian servicemen did not include any soldiers who had been captured in the preceding swap. The remarks were reported by Voice of America, an outlet that has been cited in international discussions about media access and information verification.
Public statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense on January 31 indicated that Moscow and Kyiv conducted the initial round of prisoner exchanges under the agreed plan of exchanging 195 for 195, following the downing of a military transport aircraft earlier in the year. The announcement framed the operation as a pivotal step in the ongoing efforts to normalize humanitarian exchanges amid the broader conflict context.
Ukraine’s leadership subsequently confirmed that a total of 207 of its citizens were transferred back, including members of the National Guard, border guards, and police service members. The release was celebrated by Ukrainian officials as a meaningful return of personnel who had been detained or held in various facilities, underscoring the ongoing exchanges that have taken place at different intervals since the escalation in the spring months.
Earlier reports noted the fatal crash of an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft in the Belgorod region near the village of Yablonovo. On that morning, the aircraft, which was intended to carry captured Ukrainian servicemen to a destination within Russia, reportedly carried 65 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, along with six crew members and three escorts, according to official Russian statements. The incident added another layer of tragedy to a period already marked by the volatility of exchanges and the risks inherent in maintaining such flights amid military operations in the region.
In a contemporaneous public address, the Russian president emphasized a growing trend in the number of Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered. The comment appeared within a broader narrative about the complex dynamics of the conflict, where the management of detainees and the transparency of exchanges remain significant concerns for both sides and for international observers monitoring humanitarian considerations amid active hostilities.