Russia and Ukraine swap over 200 captive combatants
Following Ukraine's unexpected assault in the Russian region of Kursk, over 100 Russian soldiers were captured and now find themselves as prisoners of war. In a reciprocal exchange, Ukraine has released an equivalent number of its own prisoners held by Russian forces. This swap was confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Russian Ministry of Defense. It's important to note that these Russian soldiers were captured in Kursk, as confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Ukraine launched a new offensive in the Russian border region of Kursk a few weeks ago, resulting in many young conscripts being captured by Ukrainian troops. Mediation for this exchange was handled by the United Arab Emirates, as reported by the Emirati news agency WAM. This was the eighth time the UAE has facilitated such negotiations.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, all released soldiers are currently in the Republic of Belarus, receiving necessary psychological and medical support, and allowed to contact their families. Their return to Russia is imminent. On the Russian side, many conscripts who were taken by surprise during Ukraine's counter-offensive in the western Russian region of Kursk have been freed.
On the Ukrainian side, President Zelenskyy announced the release of 82 soldiers and 21 officers. Alongside regular military personnel, border guards, national guardsmen, and police were also freed. Zelenskyy shared pictures of these released prisoners on X and Telegram, proudly displaying Ukrainian flags. Reportedly, Kyiv announced a prisoner exchange last Friday, with 49 individuals, including many women, returning from captivity.
Although diplomatic relations regarding other matters ended shortly after the start of Russia's invasion over two years ago, no discussions about an end to the conflict have taken place. However, the prisoner exchange continues, with both sides having handed over more than 50 prisoners of war thus far.
The attack on Ukraine in Kursk by Ukrainian troops led to the capturing of many Russian conscripts, as reported after the coordinated prisoner exchange. The United Nations has called for an immediate end to hostilities in eastern Ukraine, expressing concern over the continued violence and loss of civilian lives.
