Russia and Ukraine carried out another prisoner exchange, with each side bringing home 95 prisoners. The exchange was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, acting as a mediator, according to Ziare.
Move Closer to Freedom
In a message posted on the Telegram app, Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated that the returning Russian soldiers were undergoing medical checks in Belarus, one of Russia’s closest allies in the ongoing conflict, now in its third year.
A video shared on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Telegram account showed Ukrainian prisoners, some wrapped in the blue and yellow national flag, stepping off a bus and being greeted with hugs by their loved ones.
“Every time Ukraine rescues its people from Russian captivity, we move closer to the day when freedom is returned to all those still held,” Zelensky wrote.
He noted that the freed prisoners had served on various fronts, including some who defended the port city of Mariupol during the three-month siege in 2022.
48 Sentenced Prisoners Released
Ukrainian media reported that among those repatriated was journalist and human rights defender Maksim Butkevich, who had been convicted by a Russian court for allegedly shooting at Russian forces.
Additionally, Ukraine’s coordination body for prisoner affairs revealed that 48 of the released prisoners had been sentenced by the Russian judicial system.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, said this was the 58th exchange since the war began, bringing the total number of prisoners returned to Ukraine to 3,767.
A Russian private group, which claims to represent the interests of prisoners of war, published a list of the returning Russian soldiers, stating that most were captured during an August incursion by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. Zelensky referred to this operation, noting how capturing Russian soldiers “fuels the exchange pool” for future swaps.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement reported by state media, said this marked the ninth time the Gulf state has mediated in the conflict, describing the exchange as “a reflection of the cooperative and friendly relations between the UAE and both countries.”
