On the eve of Orthodox Easter, Ukraine and Russia exchanged 175 prisoners of war each. [1] The UAE mediated. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said most of the returning Ukrainians had been in Russian captivity since 2022, including 25 officers Russia had previously refused to release. [2]

As described in this paper's coverage of the Easter ceasefire's 469 violations, the truce framework remains fragile. Last year's Easter ceasefire collapsed under mutual accusations. This year's 32-hour pause began at 4 p.m. Saturday, with both sides firing waves of drones overnight before the deadline — Russia launched 160, killing four Ukrainians. [1]

The prisoner exchange is the only mechanism in the Ukraine war that consistently produces results. Peace talks remain stalled over territory. Ceasefire pledges crack within hours. But the swap arithmetic works: 175 for 175, mediated by a third party, verified by both defense ministries.

X notes the contrast — functional humanity inside a broken process. MSM covers the exchange as routine, which it has become. What goes unsaid is that regularity is not progress. The swaps continue because the war continues. Each exchange is both a mercy and an admission that nothing else works.

-- KATYA VOLKOV, Moscow