Approximately 115 inmates swapped between Ukraine and Russia
Ukraine and Russia swapped 115 prisoners apiece through the facilitate of the United Arab Emirates. "Another 115 of our heroes have made it back home today," stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. These servicemembers hail from the National Guard, the military, the navy, and the border guard service.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that 115 Russian military personnel, "captured in the Kursk region, have returned home as a result of negotiations from territories governed by the Kyiv regime." These returned individuals are currently on the territory of Belarus, the ministry furthered. Both Moscow and Kyiv expressed gratitude towards the United Arab Emirates for their facilitation.
The Emirates had previously facilitated prisoner exchanges between Kyiv and Moscow. They announced on Saturday that they had "successfully mediated a new prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, resulting in the release of 230 prisoners."
The latest prisoner exchange was announced on Ukraine's Independence Day and occurred during a time when Kyiv was intensifying its large-scale offensive in the Russian region of Kursk, and Russia was targeting more cities in eastern Ukraine. The last significant prisoner exchange between the two conflicting parties took place in June, with each side returning 90 prisoners.
Since the commencement of the war in February 2022, both countries have already exchanged numerous prisoners. The remains of fallen soldiers are also frequently returned to the other country.**
Each side acknowledged the United Arab Emirates' significant role in facilitating the prisoner exchanges, with Ukraine expressing gratitude for bringing back 115 of their servicemembers and Russia thanking for the return of their 115 military personnel captived in Kursk.
Each prisoner exchange brought relief and hope to the families of the captured individuals, as the steps taken to resolve conflicts served as a reminder of the importance of diplomacy and negotiation in times of conflict.
