KYIV: Five Ukrainians were among the prisoners released by Belarus in a US-brokered deal on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, expressing gratitude to Washington for aiding their release.

“Thanks to the active role of the United States and the cooperation of our intelligence services, about a hundred people, including five Ukrainians, are now being released,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, presented details regarding the preparation of a special mission to free civilians held in Belarus. Thanks to the active role of the United States and the cooperation of our intelligence agencies, around one hundred…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 13, 2025

“We are assisting our American partners to ensure that Ukraine receives the appropriate assistance.”

Zelensky said he had told his intelligence services to prioritize agreeing on a new release of Ukrainian POWs held by Russia before the new year.

Russia and Ukraine have conducted regular prisoner swaps since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.