The day's reporting highlighted a significant prisoner exchange, with Belarus transferring 114 civilians to Ukraine, including five Ukrainians and prominent opposition figures. This development, overseen by Budanov, also saw pardons for Maria Kolesnikova and other political prisoners.
Concurrently, attention remained on the ongoing Russian aerial attacks, particularly a massive assault on Odesa that caused widespread power and water outages. Ukraine's air defense intercepted a large number of drones and missiles, though some strikes occurred. Separately, Ukraine implemented sanctions against 656 ships in Russia's 'shadow fleet' and introduced automatic military registration from age 18. Discussions about a potential peace deal continued, with President Zelenskyy announcing meetings with Trump's representatives and expressing a "significant chance" for peace, contrasting with expert skepticism.