Russia and Ukraine on Saturday carried out a prisoner exchange, releasing 206 prisoners in total—103 from each side. This was the second swap in just two days and was done by negotiations led by the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attributed the release to his forces’ recent actions inside Russia. They set the Ukrainians free, including 82 soldiers and 21 officers, who had been detained since the early stages of the war between the two countries.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the 103 Russian soldiers released had been captured in the Kursk, where Ukrainian forces attacked in August.
Zelensky Celebrates Release Of 103 Ukrainian Prisoners
On Telegram, Zelensky shared the news: “Our people are home. We’ve successfully brought back another 103 warriors from Russian captivity to Ukraine.”
In the video message released in the evening, Zelensky praised his forces for their bravery and the team managing the prisoner exchanges. He noted, “Our operation in the Kursk region provided a crucial boost.”
Zelensky also shared photos of the servicemen, wrapped in the blue and yellow national flag, hugging each other, chatting on their phones, and taking group photos at a secret location.
In his video message, Zelensky mentioned that some of those released had fought to defend Mariupol. The Azov brigade, which defended the port city for three months in 2022, announced on Telegram that 23 of its members were among the prisoners freed on Saturday.
Russia And Ukraine Conduct Third Prisoner Swap Since August Incursion
Kyiv and Moscow have regularly swapped prisoners since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Saturday’s exchange was the third one since Ukraine began its cross-border operations in Russia’s Kursk region in early August.
Ukrainian officials have said that Kyiv’s forces captured at least 600 Russian soldiers during the incursion, which they believe will help in getting their arrested Ukrainians back.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights activist, shared that Kyiv has managed to bring home 3,672 Ukrainians through 57 prisoner exchanges so far.
