Ukraine and Russia Complete 160-for-160 Prisoner Exchange, UAE-Mediated

June 26, 2026 — Ukraine and Russia completed their 76th prisoner-of-war exchange since 2022, releasing 160 captives each in a UAE-mediated swap. Most of the released Ukrainians had been held since 2022. The exchange followed a June 5 swap of 185-for-185 and continued the roughly biweekly cadence of the '1,000-for-1,000' framework agreed earlier in 2026 — the most consistent functioning diplomatic channel between the two sides even as the broader ceasefire and territorial talks remained frozen.