Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners of war in biggest swap since February 2022 invasion

Ukraine and Russia have carried out a major prisoner exchange for the first time in months, under a deal reportedly mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday that 248 Russian POWs were handed over to Russia. In turn, Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets reported that 230 Ukrainian POWs had been freed from Russian captivity.

According to the Associated Press, this marks the single biggest release of POWs since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Russian Defense Ministry referred to the negotiation process as “complex” and said the exchange was possible “thanks to the humanitarian mediation efforts of the United Arab Emirates.” However, the Associated Press noted that the U.A.E has yet to acknowledge playing a role in the swap.

During the first year of the full-scale war, prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine took place regularly, but they stopped in the second half of 2023. The last major exchange occurred on August 7, 2023.