Through Emirati Mediation.. Russia and Ukraine Exchange 146 Prisoners of War from Each Side

The Russian Ministry of Defense and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the implementation of a prisoner exchange operation between Moscow and Kyiv on Sunday, involving 146 prisoners from each side, with humanitarian mediation from the United Arab Emirates.

The Russian ministry stated that all released Russian soldiers were transferred to Belarus, where they are currently receiving medical care and psychological support. It also noted that Ukraine had returned eight Russian citizens from the Kursk border region.

For his part, Ukrainian President Zelensky announced via the Telegram app the completion of the exchange process, without revealing the number of prisoners, but he published photos of smiling returnees, explaining that most of them had been detained since 2022, including a journalist who was captured a month after the start of the Russian invasion.

Zelensky thanked the United Arab Emirates for its role in overseeing the exchange process, confirming that prisoner exchanges are ongoing as part of humanitarian and diplomatic efforts aimed at alleviating the effects of the war.