Russia and Ukraine Exchange 206 Prisoners in Second Swap in Two Days, Reports Reuters

By Olena Harmash

KYIV – On Saturday, Russia and Ukraine carried out a significant exchange of prisoners, with each side releasing 103 individuals, marking the second swap in just two days, facilitated through negotiations brokered by the United Arab Emirates, according to officials.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attributed the successful release to increased military activity by Ukrainian forces within Russia. The freed Ukrainians, comprising 82 soldiers and 21 officers, had been in captivity since the early months of the conflict, he noted.

The Russian Defence Ministry reported that the 103 Russian soldiers exchanged were captured during military operations in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces executed a surprise incursion in August.

"Our people are home," Zelenskiy declared in a message via Telegram. "We have successfully brought back another 103 warriors from Russian captivity to Ukraine."

In his evening address, he expressed gratitude to the combat forces for their bravery and acknowledged the team responsible for facilitating the exchanges. He emphasized that the operation in the Kursk region provided a crucial impetus for the recent swap.

Zelenskiy shared images of the returning servicemen, draped in the national blue and yellow flag, embracing one another, using mobile phones, and taking group photos at an undisclosed location.

During his address, he mentioned that those released included soldiers who had defended the city of Mariupol. The Azov brigade, which played a significant role in the three-month defense of the port city in 2022, stated that 23 of its members were among those exchanged on Saturday.

The UAE has been involved in mediating these exchanges, marking its eighth such effort since the beginning of 2024.

Kyiv and Moscow have regularly engaged in prisoner exchanges since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, with Saturday’s swap representing the third since Ukraine initiated its cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in early August.

Ukrainian officials have indicated that their forces captured at least 600 Russian soldiers during the incursion, and this development is expected to facilitate the return of more captured Ukrainians.

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, stated that Kyiv has successfully secured the return of 3,672 Ukrainians through 57 exchanges thus far.