Russia and Ukraine announced Saturday (8/24) that they were exchanging 115 prisoners of war, just two weeks after Kyiv launched a surprise attack on Russia's Kursk region.
The exchange comes as Kyiv launches its Kursk offensive and Russia eyes eastern Ukrainian cities to continue its military push. It also coincides with Ukraine's Independence Day.
Both countries expressed appreciation to the United Arab Emirates, which said it was a mediator in the swap deal.
“As many as 115 of our heroes have returned to their homeland today. They are soldiers of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy and the State Border Guard Service,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
He released photos of the men covered in Ukrainian flags.
Kyiv says it captured hundreds of Russian soldiers in the Kursk offensive launched on August 6.
Moscow confirmed the exchange and said 115 of its soldiers captured at Kursk had been repatriated.
“As a result of the negotiation process, 115 Russian servicemen held captive in the Kursk region have been repatriated from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The ministry said the troops are currently in neighboring Belarus, where they are receiving “psychological and medical assistance.” They will soon be repatriated to Russia.
The United Arab Emirates said it “successfully mediated the latest prisoner exchange between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine.”
Kyiv and Moscow have carried out several rounds of prisoner exchanges during the more than two-year-old conflict. (ah)
