Hundreds of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war were exchanged today, in the first such swap in nearly 5 months. The deal was brokered by the UAE, who’s foreign ministy said the swap was a result of “strong friendly relations between the UAE and both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine, which were supported by sustained calls at the highest level”.
Ukraine received from Russia 230 POW’s, some of which had been held since 2022. Of those held since 2022, many were taken captive in Mariupol, in particular during the Russian siege of the Azovstal steelworks.
Ukraine stated 6 of the 230 released were civilians.
Russia received from Ukraine 248 POW’s, of which they have not offered any further details on.
The swap is the largest single release of prisoners over the course of the war, which has been ongoing for almost 2 years.
