UAE Mediation Leads to Major Prisoner Swap as Russia Regains Strategic Village in Eastern Ukraine
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 206 prisoners of war in a deal mediated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced that 103 Russian servicemen, captured during Ukraine’s recent incursion into the Kursk region, were among those released. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared images of returning prisoners, stating,
“Our people are home.”
Last month, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise attack, advancing up to 30 km (18 miles) into the Russian Kursk region, aiming to draw Russian troops away from eastern Ukraine.
Zelenskyy Welcomes Ukraine’s Heroes Home
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the return of 82 Ukrainian privates and sergeants, alongside 21 officers, from the armed forces, national guard, border guards, and police. These soldiers had been captured defending regions like Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol, Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv.
Russia stated that its released soldiers are now in Belarus, where they will receive medical and psychological care before reuniting with their families and returning home to Russia.
UAE Plays Key Role in Prisoner Exchanges
The UAE, maintaining a neutral stance in the conflict, has brokered several prisoner swaps. This latest exchange follows a similar deal in August.
Russia Recaptures Key Village in Eastern Ukraine
Amid the prisoner exchange, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced that its Russian forces had reclaimed Zhelanne Pershe, a village in the Pokrovsk district. The village’s proximity to Pokrovsk, vital for Ukrainian logistics in Donbas, makes it a strategic target for the Russian forces as they intensify their operations in the Donbas region.
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