Ukraine, Russia carry out largest prisoner swap since start of war
- 3 January, 05:40
Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday exchanged over 200 prisoners of war in what became the largest prisoner swap since the start of the war in February 2022.
Ukrainian officials said that 230 of its prisoners were released while Russia said 248 of its soldiers were returned as part of the prisoner exchange deal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the deal in a post on the Telegram messaging app. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak called it a “difficult exchange after a long pause.”
Among the released Ukrainian POWs are seven soldiers who defended Snake Island, which became the symbol of Ukrainians’ resistance against Russia.
Andriy Yermak reported that defenders of the besieged southern city of Mariupol and its Azovstal steel plant were also exchanged alongside POWs detained in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
In turn, the Russian Defence Ministry said that the 248 returned servicemen were receiving the “necessary medical and psychological assistance”, while adding that the prisoner swap took place due to “the humanitarian intervention” of the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign affairs hailed the successful mediation as a reflection of the friendly relations the UAE maintains with both Russia and Ukraine, according to the WAM Emirates News Agency.
