Russia and Ukraine announced on Wednesday that they have exchanged a total of 190 captured soldiers in their latest prisoner swap. This marks over 50 individual exchanges since the conflict began in February 2022, where both sides have managed to reach rare agreements. Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's defense ministry confirmed the release of 95 soldiers each.
Zelensky mentioned in a Telegram post that another 95 Ukrainian defenders were freed from Russian captivity, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. The Russian defense ministry also stated on Telegram that 95 Russian servicemen were returned as a result of the negotiation process. Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed in June that 1,348 Russian soldiers were held captive in Ukraine, while Russia detained 6,465 Ukrainian POWs.
These exchanges have occurred sporadically throughout the conflict. In a rare direct meeting, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova and her Ukrainian counterpart discussed joint humanitarian actions, including family reunification. Kyiv accuses Moscow of forcibly deporting thousands of Ukrainian children, and is working to secure their return, with some already facilitated by deals with Qatar.
