Russia announced today that it has exchanged 90 Ukrainian prisoners of war it was holding for 90 Russian soldiers held by Ukraine with the mediation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
"As a result of negotiations, 90 Russian servicemen who were in mortal danger in captivity were repatriated from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime," the Russian Ministry of Defense reported in "Telegram".
"In return, 90 prisoners of war from the Armed Forces of Ukraine were handed over," the ministry added, specifying that the exchange was carried out with the "humanitarian mediation" of the UAE.
The released Russian prisoners of war have been taken to Moscow, where they will undergo medical examinations, the ministry said, as quoted by Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the exchange on his Telegram channel, Ukrinform reported.
"Home is not just a word. Home means Ukraine. Today another 90 of our fighters returned home from Russian captivity. Soldiers from the National Guard, Navy, Army, Homeland Security, Border Patrol. Those who defended Mariupol. Those who defended the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Those who were in the Kherson, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporozhye and Luhansk directions," Zelensky wrote.
He added that Ukraine remembers all its soldiers in Russian captivity.
"We continue our work to free everyone. We seek the truth about anyone who may be held captive by the enemy. I thank our exchange team: Budanov, Yermak, Malyuk, Klimenko and Lyubinets", said Zelensky.
He also thanked all of Ukraine's helping partners, "including the UAE, for their assistance in freeing our people".
"Together we can achieve even the most difficult things", said Zelensky.
The last major exchange between the warring countries was in February, when they exchanged 100 prisoners from each side.
The UAE is also mediating the return of Ukrainian children to their country from Russia.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war and regularly exchange the bodies of slain soldiers, according to AFP.