--- title: "Lubinets Reveals Details of the Largest Prisoner Exchange in War History: At Least 1,000 Ukrainians to Return Home" description: "Ombudsman Lubinets announced that at least 1,000 Ukrainians will return home as part of the largest prisoner exchange in the history of the war. US special representatives Witkoff and Kushner are involved in preparing the process." date: 2026-11-14T13:51:36.621Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/lubinets-largest-prisoner-exchange-ukraine-russia-1000 tags: [ukraine, russia, prisoner-exchange, lubinets, zelensky, us-diplomacy, witkoff, kushner] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Lubinets Reveals Details of the Largest Prisoner Exchange in War History: At Least 1,000 Ukrainians to Return Home ![Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets making a statement](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/lubinets-masshtabnyj-obmen-plennymi-ukraina-rossiya-1000/lubinets-masshtabnyj-obmen-plennymi-ukraina-rossiya-1000-1.webp) ## Key Points - Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets confirmed that at least 1,000 Ukrainians will return home during the upcoming exchange. - The final figure is not fixed and could reach 1,500 people on each side. - Lubinets proposed including civilians in the exchange, to which the Russian side gave preliminary consent. - On November 13, Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially confirmed the impending largest prisoner exchange. - US President's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are involved in preparing the exchange. Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets has disclosed key parameters of the upcoming prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, which he stated will be the largest in the history of the armed conflict. The ombudsman announced this on his Telegram channel, as reported by RBC-Ukraine. According to his data, at least 1,000 Ukrainian citizens will return home, though the final figure could be significantly higher. ### Conversation with Russian Counterpart: The Figure is Not Fixed Lubinets said that immediately after official information emerged about the preparation of the large-scale exchange, he contacted his Russian counterpart — Human Rights Commissioner in the Russian Federation Yana Lantratova — by phone. During the conversation, the ombudsman inquired whether the Russian side had a final and confirmed figure. According to him, Lantratova replied that they are talking about at least a thousand people, while the parties intend to "work to make the figure as large as possible." "If we reach 1,500, it will be 1,500. If it's 1,200, it will be 1,200," Lubinets conveyed the wording of the Russian side. Thus, at the time of the statement's publication, the exact number of exchange participants has not yet been finalized and may range from 1,000 to 1,500 people on each side. ### The "1,000 for 1,000" Formula and Zelenskyy's Confirmation On November 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially confirmed that the largest prisoner exchange in the history of the war between Kyiv and Moscow will take place in the near future. Earlier, the head of state mentioned that negotiations are being conducted under the formula of "1,000 for 1,000" or "1,500 for 1,500," which generally correlates with the parameters voiced by Lubinets in his dialogue with Lantratova. The coincidence of figures in the statements of the ombudsman and the president indicates that both sides of the Ukrainian leadership are operating within the same negotiation framework. ### Initiative to Include Civilians A separate point was Lubinets' own proposal: the ombudsman initiated a move to ensure that not only prisoners of war, but also civilians are among those released from captivity. According to him, the Russian side immediately reacted positively and stated its readiness to process such a request. This decision potentially expands the pool of exchange participants and affects categories of citizens who were previously not included in standard prisoner-of-war exchange protocols. ### American Mediation: Witkoff and Kushner The United States is actively involved in preparing the largest prisoner exchange. According to available data, American authorities have already begun organizational work, with US President's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner drawn into the process. Their participation indicates that the exchange is viewed not only as a bilateral Ukrainian-Russian process, but also as an element of a broader diplomatic architecture in which Washington acts as a mediator and guarantor of compliance with agreements. ### Significance and Context If the exchange takes place on the declared scale, it will become a precedent-setting event for the entire period of the conflict. Previous agreements on the release of prisoners of war and civilians, as a rule, affected significantly smaller groups. The scale of 1,000–1,500 people on each side, as well as the potential inclusion of civilian categories, makes the upcoming exchange a qualitatively new stage. For the families of thousands of Ukrainian citizens awaiting the return of their loved ones, this statement by the ombudsman and the president becomes the first concrete signal that the process is moving from the negotiation stage to practical implementation. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Лубинец раскрыл детали самого большого обмена пленными между Украиной и РФ](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/shchonaymenshe-1000-lyudey-lubinets-rozkriv-1794663056.html) - Primary source: Dmytro Lubinets' Telegram post, retold by RBC-Ukraine. Contains direct quotes from the ombudsman about the conversation with Lantratova, formulations regarding numbers, and the initiative on civilians. The mention of Zelenskyy's confirmation (13.11) and the participation of Witkoff/Kushner are also given in the same text. ## FAQ ### How many Ukrainians will return as part of the prisoner exchange? According to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, at least 1,000 people. The final figure is not fixed and could amount to 1,200 or 1,500, depending on the progress of negotiations. ### When will the exchange take place? The exact date has not been named. On November 13, Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the exchange will take place "soon." Lubinets reported that negotiations are already underway at the level of human rights commissioners. ### Will civilians participate in the exchange? Lubinets initiated the inclusion of not only prisoners of war, but also civilians among the released. The Russian side, according to him, stated its readiness to process such a request. ### What is the role of the US in preparing the exchange? According to available data, US President's special representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been drawn into the process. American authorities are reported to have already begun organizational preparations.