Russia and Ukraine exchanged 270 captives each on October 23, 2026, in a UAE-mediated operation that returned 540 people in total, according to official statements and independent reporting. The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the exchange was the 27th mediation effort it had facilitated between the two countries.
The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said the 270 people returned to Ukraine included 261 service members and nine civilians. It said most of those freed had been held in Russian captivity since 2022. The group included members of the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service and other Ukrainian security and defence bodies.
Who returned to Ukraine
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said many of the freed service members had defended Mariupol. It reported that 221 of them were captured during the defence of the city and that 72 had fought at the Azovstal steel plant. Five survivors of the July 2022 Olenivka prison attack were also among those released, according to the ministry.
The ministry added that two of the returning Ukrainian defenders had been held since 2018 and 2020. The Ukrainian group included 38 officers and 223 soldiers and sergeants, while the youngest person released was 24 and the oldest was 63. Officials said the returnees would receive medical examinations, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration support after their captivity.
The people released on the Ukrainian side represented several military branches and services. The ministry listed the Navy, Ground Forces, Air Assault Forces, Territorial Defence Forces, Special Operations Forces, the State Special Transport Service and the Military Law Enforcement Service. A rescuer from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service was also among those brought home.
Reuters reported that Russia also received 270 people. Russian authorities said their freed personnel were initially taken to Belarus for medical and psychological assistance before returning home. Russia’s human rights commissioner said seven Russian civilians were returned in connection with the exchange.
UAE says 8,537 captives exchanged through its mediation
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the October 23 operation brought the cumulative number of captives exchanged through Emirati mediation to 8,537. Abu Dhabi credited cooperation from both Moscow and Kyiv and described the latest exchange as part of its efforts to reduce the humanitarian impact of the war.
The National, reporting the UAE announcement, also confirmed the 270-for-270 format and the total of 540 people. Reuters separately corroborated the number returned to each side and the Ukrainian account that civilians were included among those brought home.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry thanked both the United States and the United Arab Emirates for helping to facilitate the operation. It said 9,996 Ukrainians had returned home through prisoner exchanges overall. The ministry identified the previous exchange as the August 19 release of 103 Ukrainian service members.
A humanitarian channel amid continuing war
The exchange represents a significant humanitarian operation at a time when the broader conflict remains unresolved. Prisoner swaps have remained one of the few channels through which Russia and Ukraine have continued limited practical cooperation. The October 23 transfer did not include an announcement of a ceasefire or a wider political agreement.
For the people released and their families, however, the immediate consequences are concrete. Ukrainian officials said medical care and rehabilitation would begin after return, while Russian authorities announced comparable medical and psychological assistance for their personnel.
The UAE said it would continue supporting mediation intended to ease the war’s humanitarian costs and encourage a peaceful settlement. Its statement did not provide operational details about the transfer or a timetable for another exchange, but it framed continued dialogue as necessary to sustain humanitarian progress.
