Russia and Ukraine swap 206 prisoners of war in UAE-brokered deal

Russia swapped 103 Ukrainian soldiers held captive for an equal number of Russian POWs in an exchange deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

“103 Russian servicemen captured in the Kursk region were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime,” the Russian defence ministry said Saturday. “In return, 103 Ukrainian army prisoners of war were handed over”.

According to the U.N., most Ukrainian POWs suffer routine medical neglect, severe and systematic mistreatment and even torture while in detention. There have also been isolated reports of abuse of Russian soldiers, mostly during capture or transit to internment sites.

Both countries swapped over 100 prisoners of war each last month as Kyiv marked its third Independence Day since Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

Ukraine said the 115 Ukrainian servicemen who were freed were conscripts, many of whom were taken prisoner in the first months of Russia’s invasion. Among them are nearly 50 soldiers captured by Russian forces from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.

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The Russian Defense Ministry said the 115 Russian soldiers had been captured in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched their surprise offensive into Russia two weeks ago. The ministry said the soldiers were currently in Belarus, but would be taken to Russia for medical treatment and rehabilitation.

With inputs from agencies.