Russia, Ukraine Swap 115 Prisoners of War Each in Unexpected Exchange

Russia and Ukraine announced on Saturday a surprising exchange of 115 prisoners of war from each side, occurring just over two weeks after Kyiv’s unexpected incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

The swap took place amidst Kyiv’s ongoing offensive in Kursk and Russia’s focus on advancing in eastern Ukrainian towns. Notably, the exchange coincided with Ukrainian Independence Day.

Both nations expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates, which facilitated the negotiation of the swap.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated, “Another 115 of our defenders have returned home today. These are soldiers of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, the State Border Guard Service.” He also shared photos of the returning soldiers wrapped in Ukrainian flags.

Kyiv had previously reported capturing hundreds of Russian soldiers during its Kursk incursion, which began on August 6.

Moscow confirmed the swap and noted that it had returned 115 Russian servicemen who were captured in Kursk. The Russian defense ministry said, “As a result of a negotiation process, 115 Russian servicemen taken prisoner in the Kursk region have been returned from territories controlled by the Kyiv regime.”

The ministry added that the troops are currently in Belarus, where they are receiving “psychological-medical help” and will soon be transported to Russia. It released images showing the men near buses in a field.

The United Arab Emirates announced it had “successfully mediated a new captives exchange between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine.”

Throughout the ongoing conflict, Kyiv and Moscow have conducted several rounds of prisoner exchanges.