AFP reported that on Sunday, August 25, 2024, Russia and Ukraine successfully exchanged 115 prisoners of war on each side, but this happened on Ukraine's Independence Day as Ukraine launched its offensive in Kursk and Russia was advancing on other cities in eastern Ukraine.
Both countries are grateful to the United Arab Emirates for mediating this exchange.
And 115 of our soldiers have returned to the country today. They are soldiers from the National Guard, Army, Navy and State Border Guard Forces,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. and posted photos of several men wrapped in Ukrainian flags.
The Kiev government said it had captured hundreds of Russian soldiers during an attack on Kursk on August 6, Moscow confirmed the exchange and that 115 Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine in Kursk had been returned to the country.
The Russian Defense Ministry said “a fruitful negotiation process has ended in the release of 115 Russian soldiers held captive in the Kursk region. They were deported from territories controlled by the Ukrainian regime.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said the soldiers are currently in neighboring Belarus. They are being given psychological and medical help. Before being sent back to Russia soon after
The United Arab Emirates announced in the same direction that it was able to successfully mediate the exchange of prisoners of war between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine.
The Kiev and Moscow governments have conducted several prisoner exchanges throughout the two-year war.
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