Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange on Friday, with both nations releasing 205 captured soldiers as part of a broader diplomatic agreement.
According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, the returned Russian military personnel were transported to Belarus where they are receiving necessary care and support. Officials in Moscow noted that the United Arab Emirates served as the mediator for the prisoner swap.
Ukrainian authorities also verified that their prisoners of war had been successfully returned.
The exchange represents part of a larger arrangement between the two warring nations to swap 1,000 soldiers total, stemming from an agreement tied to a ceasefire that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker earlier in May. That temporary ceasefire lasted from May 9 through May 11, though both sides reported violations of the truce during that period.
