Russia and Ukraine have each exchanged 160 captured soldiers in the latest prisoner swap between the two countries, marking another rare area of cooperation amid the ongoing war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that 160 Ukrainian service members had returned home, stating that all of them had been held in Russian captivity since 2022. He shared images of the freed soldiers wrapped in Ukrainian flags as they reunited with fellow servicemen and loved ones.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence also confirmed the exchange, saying that 160 Russian soldiers had been returned in return for 160 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The ministry added that the released Russian personnel were transported to Belarus, where they are receiving medical care and psychological support before returning to Russia.
The United Arab Emirates has continued to play a key mediating role in facilitating prisoner exchanges between the two sides. Abu Dhabi has helped broker several swaps since the war began, including a 205-for-205 exchange in May as part of a broader 1,000-for-1,000 agreement, and another involving 314 prisoners in February.
Prisoner exchanges remain one of the few areas where Moscow and Kyiv have maintained direct cooperation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine has consistently prioritized securing the return of its captured military personnel.
The latest exchange comes as Ukraine intensifies long-range attacks on Russian military infrastructure. President Zelenskyy recently announced a 40-day campaign targeting Russian logistics, military facilities, and occupied territories, including repeated drone strikes on Moscow and Crimea.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have made little progress, with negotiations mediated by the United States yet to produce a formal peace agreement.
