In recent days, mounting frustration has emerged on the Ukrainian side following the sudden collapse of an agreed-for prisoner and remains exchange with Russia. Captured Ukrainian soldiers directly addressed President Volodymyr Zelensky, urging him to apply pressure on his government to resume negotiations. Meanwhile, intense Russian military strikes on Kharkiv and other cities have compounded a humanitarian crisis — raising fresh questions about whether diplomacy can withstand the brutality of escalating conflict.
“We were promised home within three months”: prisoners speak out
Footage aired on Russia 24 featuring several Ukrainian prisoners of war expressing deep disappointment. One soldier, who had been led to expect release within about three months, declared that Our government doesn’t want to bring us back at all. Another expressed personal distress and a longing to be reunited with loved ones, with one message underscored that I hope that we will be exchanged soon.
According to Reuters, that Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky publicly attributed the breakdown to non-appearance by the Ukrainian delegation at the designated exchange point, which held refrigerated containers carrying 1,212 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers, alongside a list of 640 POWs ready for transfer. He accused Kyiv of indefinitely postponing both the prisoner swap and the repatriation of remains, inviting international observers and media to verify Russian readiness on site.
Kyiv’s ‘dirty games’: denying russia’s allegations
According to The kyiv Indipendent that Ukraine promptly issued a firm rebuttal. Its Coordination Headquarters for Prisoner of War Affairs contended that while agreements had been made to repatriate bodies, no specific dates had been set. Ukrainian official Andriy Kovalenko condemned the Russian actions as “unilateral,” stating, “Today’s statements…do not correspond to reality” and accusing Moscow of “playing dirty mind games.”
Reuters corroborated Kyiv’s position, reporting that Ukraine had indeed received Russia’s lists but claimed that Moscow misaligned the proposed swap with agreed criteria—such as prioritizing the seriously wounded, the young, and civilian captives.
The humanitarian cost amid resumed fighting
The collapse of the exchange coincides with some of the heaviest Russian attacks in months. On June 7 alone, Kharkiv suffered its most forceful strike since the 2022 invasion, with at least four civilians killed (three overnight, one during daytime bombing), and more than 60 wounded. Nearly 18 apartment-blocks and 13 private homes were damaged, and one air-raid bore down on children—highlighting the civilian toll, according to apnews.
Moscow framed these assaults as targeting military infrastructure; Kyiv insisted they were deliberate civilian attacks, calling for an international response to what Ukraine’s leadership has termed “terrorist tactics.”
Fragile diplomacy in istanbul: previous gains fracture
Earlier negotiations in Istanbul (June 2) yielded what appeared to be cautious optimism: plans for prisoner and remains exchanges (covering up to 12,000 bodies) and proposals for a Ukraine‑Russia meeting mediated by US President Donald Trump and Turkey’s Erdoğan. However, no ceasefire materialized, and neither leaders nor fixed timelines were agreed upon, according to The Guardian.
The Istanbul accord had allowed exchange of the most vulnerable POWs—wounded, ill, and young—and the bodies of soldiers on both sides. Yet by June 7, implementation faltered amid mutual accusations and intensified conflict.
How many have been freed – and what lies ahead
Since May 23, Ukraine and Russia have conducted what remains the largest POW swap of the war: an initial release of 390 prisoners each, with expectations for more to follow by end‑May, according to Reuters.
Kyiv’s president Zelensky has pushed for an “all-for-all” swap and called publicly for a temporary ceasefire until a summit with Russian President Putin, asserting that such a pause would “give the world a chance to end the war.” According to Reuters, that Russia, however, has insisted that broader peace must precede any ceasefire.
The missing remains: a family tragedy multiplies
Beyond those still captive, more than 12,000 Ukrainian soldiers are missing or have died, many buried far from home. Exchanges over fallen soldiers’ remains have occurred periodically—909 bodies were repatriated by Ukraine in mid-May—but the scale and delay of the current conflict far exceed past efforts.
Families of the missing endure anxiety over unmarked mass graves and unidentified bodies—set across a frozen bureaucratic wasteland between Moscow and Kyiv. Verification via DNA remains crucial yet incomplete; some returned bodies have even been discovered to be incorrectly catalogued, as in the shocking case of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna.
Analysis: diplomacy under fire—and its limits
Efforts to exchange prisoners and remains have emerged as rare moments of humanitarian cooperation amid a brutal and grinding war. But each collapse erodes public faith—among POWs, soldiers’ relatives, and civilians alike.
The Ukrainian POWs’ appeal to Zelensky reflects growing despair after months of conflict and the failed Istanbul breakthrough. Yet the heavy Russian bombardment suggests Moscow is escalating on the battlefield even as diplomacy stalls.
International actors—including Turkey, the UN, the US, and European allies—have urged dialogue. Still, absent a ceasefire or firm dates, humanitarian breakthroughs appear flimsy. The risk is clear: the process may harden into a permanent stalemate, with families bearing the brunt of teenage sons, brothers, and fathers left in limbo.
