Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap, mediated by the United Arab Emirates, resulting in 206 prisoners being exchanged. President Zelenskyy announced that all 103 Ukrainians returned were military personnel. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the 103 soldiers exchanged had been taken prisoner in the Kursk region during a surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces. Zelenskyy shared pictures of the returning servicemen wrapped in the national flag and celebrating their return home.
The mediation by the UAE marked the eighth such effort since 2024. The exchange was the third since Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region in August. Ukrainian officials have reported capturing at least 600 Russian soldiers during the incursion, which has facilitated the return of captured Ukrainians.
Ukraine’s ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, stated that the majority of the freed Ukrainians had been in Russian captivity since the start of the invasion. He shared a video of the servicemen chanting “Glory to Ukraine” upon their release. Lubinets reported that Ukraine has secured the return of 3,672 citizens in a total of 57 exchanges. The ongoing exchanges are part of efforts to bring back prisoners taken during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
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