ussia and Ukraine each exchanged 95 prisoners of war on Wednesday in a deal mediated by the United Arab Emirates, as announced by the Russian Defence Ministry.
Details of the Exchange
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the exchange on Telegram, stating that servicemen from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and border guards had returned to Ukraine as part of the deal.
Zelensky thanked the exchange team and the United Arab Emirates for facilitating the exchange.
"No matter how difficult it is, we are looking for everyone who may be in captivity. We have to bring everyone back," Zelensky wrote.
The Russian Defence Ministry announced the return of 95 Russian servicemen who had been in "mortal danger in captivity" from "the territory controlled by the Kiev regime."
The ministry added that the soldiers would be flown to Moscow for treatment and rehabilitation at the Ministry of Defence’s medical facilities.
Humanitarian Discussions
Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova mentioned that she had met with a representative from the Ukrainian ombudsman’s office to discuss upcoming joint humanitarian actions, including family reunifications.
This exchange is part of a series of deals mediated by the UAE. The most recent prior exchange in June involved 180 prisoners.
According to Bloomberg, this is the sixth such exchange mediated by the UAE this year, with a total of 1,400 prisoners swapped.
