Ukraine extradites Kazakhstanis to Russia in prisoner of war exchange

On April 19, Russia and Ukraine carried out a large prisoner exchange as part of the Easter swap, involving hundreds of captives. Among those exchanged were two Kazakh nationals, according to lists published by the Russian Telegram channel «Nash Vykhod» («Our Way Out»).

The two Kazakhstanis handed over to Russia by Ukraine were identified as 23-year-old Yerbolat Ordabayev and 20-year-old Sherkhan Yegamberdiev.

Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that 246 Russian servicemembers were returned from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that 277 Ukrainian servicemembers had returned home.

In a related development, Kazakhstani authorities reported in November 2024 that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, they had opened 46 criminal cases against citizens for participating in foreign military conflicts, including seven cases related to mercenary activities.