The Kursk Operation Affected Russia's Willingness to Exchange Prisoners – ISW.

Ukraine Forces Russia into More Frequent Prisoner Exchanges

According to the Institute for the Study of War, the control of a part of the Kursk region by Ukraine's Armed Forces has led Russia to conduct increasing numbers of prisoner exchanges with Ukraine.

According to the report, the fourth prisoner exchange in a ‘one-on-one’ format has recently taken place in the Kursk region since August 6, 2024.

Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War emphasize that the frequency of prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia has significantly increased following Ukraine's control over part of the Kursk region.

Overall, during the previous three exchanges, the parties exchanged 267 prisoners of war. From January 1 to August 6, 2024, Russia and Ukraine conducted only three exchanges.

The report from the Institute for the Study of War states: “ISW continues to believe that Ukraine's invasion of the Kursk region likely increasingly prompts Russia to engage in prisoner exchanges.”

Yesterday, the President of Ukraine officially announced the exchange of 95 Ukrainian prisoners.

It should be noted that on October 18, 95 Ukrainian prisoners returned home. “The peculiarity of this exchange is that many Ukrainians who received sentences from the Russian judicial system and were convicted came home: 28 to long terms, and 20 to life imprisonment for defending their land from the aggressor,” reported the Coordination Headquarters.

Among the returned fighters are also 34 soldiers from ‘Azov.’ “In times of heavy fighting, such news boosts the morale of the 12th Brigade of Azov. Another 34 servicemen returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. These warriors defended Mariupol for 86 days, leaving the Azovstal territory and spending two and a half years in Russian captivity. Thanks to them, Ukraine withstood the first blow in the spring of 2022,” the message states.