Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange on Saturday, with each side releasing 115 prisoners of war (POWs), facilitated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Reuters reports.
This marks the first prisoner exchange since Ukraine launched a significant attack into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that the Russian soldiers released had been captured in the Kursk region, they are now in Belarus, where they will receive medical care before returning to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared a photo of the returned Ukrainian soldiers, who were from various military branches, and thanked the troops for their efforts. Ukraine noted that 82 of the returned POWs were defenders of Mariupol in 2022.
The UAE has mediated seven prisoner exchanges since the war began, with the total number of captives exchanged reaching 1,788. The UAE has maintained strong relations with both Russia and Ukraine throughout the war, leveraging its diplomatic ties to mediate between the two nations.
