State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

The third stage of the exchange took place, with 303 Ukrainian soldiers returning home, including 70 defenders of Mariupol. In total, 1,000 Ukrainians have returned home in three days.

The third stage of the "1000 for 1000" prisoner exchange, agreed upon in Turkey, has taken place. Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, border guards, and employees of the State Special Transport Service are returning home.

On May 24, Ukraine returned 307 soldiers from Russian captivity, most of whom were captured in the Donetsk region in 2022. Tomorrow, May 25, the third stage of the exchange in the "1000 for 1000" format will take place.

As part of the large prisoner exchange "1000 for 1000," 307 Ukrainian defenders were returned. Among those released are 27 defenders of Mariupol, the youngest is 25 years old, and the oldest is 61.

Eight citizens of Afghanistan tried to illegally cross the border from Belarus to Ukraine. Border guards detained them in Rivne region, one of the migrants tried to escape.

Ombudsman Lubinets reported on the return of 390 Ukrainian prisoners under the "1000 for 1000" format. Among those released are 270 military personnel from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, border guards, and three women.

Currently, there is no formation of a strike group in the Belarusian direction that could threaten Ukraine. However, the direction remains dangerous as long as Belarus supports Russia.

Since the beginning of 2025, more than 10 million people have crossed the Ukrainian border. In April, 2.7 million crossings were recorded, which is 8% more than in March.

Russian drone activity on the border has increased significantly, especially in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. UAV strikes, including FPV drones, now outweigh artillery shelling.

A colonel of the medical service, the head of the military medical commission, has been declared a suspect in receiving bribes for transferring military personnel from the combat zone to the rear units. He entered false data into the documents of the military medical commission.

The Carpathian detachment with accurate strikes of fpv-drones destroyed enemy equipment, antennas, fortifications and positions in Luhansk region. Also, about a dozen enemy UAVs were intercepted.

In Kyiv region, the organizer of the scheme of illegal border crossing was detained. He sold certificates for $1000 and organized transportation to Moldova for $7000. The злоумышленнику faces up to 9 years of imprisonment.

Ukrainian border guards rescued a rare bird – a white-throated loon, which was hit by car headlights. The bird was carefully lifted, checked, taken to a body of water and released.

Polish protesters have restricted the movement of trucks at the "Dorohusk – Yahodyn" checkpoint, allowing only one vehicle per hour in both directions. The demand is the return of permits for Ukrainian carriers.

A joint operation by the SBU and the SBGS exposed a criminal group that organized the illegal departure of men of conscription age abroad. The route ran through Moldova, and the fee was from 8 thousand dollars.

In Khmelnytskyi, the vice-rector of the military academy was detained for forcing subordinates to build his private house. He systematically involved employees in the construction instead of their official duties.

Ukrainian servicemen who defended Ukraine in various directions, including Mariupol, have been released. This is the 64th exchange, with a total of 4,757 citizens released.

In the Zakarpattia region, a criminal group of 6 people who were transferring evaders abroad was detained. Among those detained are employees of the State Border Guard Service.

Russian troops are trying to regroup in the Kharkiv direction, but have significant difficulties with equipment and ammunition. Their attempts to advance are likely to be unsuccessful.

Russian troops began using motorcycle columns and ground drones in the Donetsk region. DPSU destroyed a column, two robotic complexes, a tank and a group of motorcyclists.

Road works will be carried out at the "Korchowa – Krakovets" border crossing from May 8 to mid-June 2025. Temporary reduction of capacity is possible.

The President of Ukraine awarded state awards to the soldiers of the SBGS, thanking them for their resilience and courage. He noted their work at the front and the effectiveness of the units.

Border guards detained a resident of Volyn who tried to smuggle 360 packs of cigarettes to Poland by drone. He was detained while trying to escape, the investigation is ongoing.

The situation in the Sumy direction remains difficult, especially near Basivka and Zhuravka. The Russians are using small assault groups and trying to break through on ATVs.

A group of 6 people involved in the production and sale of counterfeit tobacco products was exposed in Sumy. Goods worth UAH 3.6 million were seized.

Repair work has begun at the "Medyka - Shehyni" checkpoint on the Polish-Ukrainian border, which may slow down the processing of transport, especially trucks, until mid-July. Repair works are also underway on the Ukrainian side.

From 10:00 on April 22, 2025, repair work will begin at the Shehyni checkpoint in the Lviv region, which will restrict the exit of passenger cars from Ukraine. Due to the closure of the exit lane, the restrictions will last approximately until May 10; they recommend choosing alternative checkpoints.

On Easter, passenger traffic across the border of Ukraine decreased to about 8 thousand people after a significant increase to over 100 thousand per day before the holiday. Border guards predict a new increase in movement starting today.

State Border Guard Service spokesman Andriy Demchenko said that Russia did not adhere to the "Easter truce". Shelling and attacks on border guards continued on the border in Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv regions.

In the Vovchansk direction, the occupiers resumed the use of armored vehicles, including MT-LBs, in their assaults. According to the military, the enemy is combining mechanized groups with motorcyclists to break through the defense despite significant losses.