“103 Russian soldiers to be returned (…), in exchange for 103 Ukrainian prisoners of war,” the ministry stated on social media.
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Since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, prisoner exchanges and the return of fallen soldiers’ remains have been one of the few areas of cooperation between Moscow and Kyiv.
Negotiations to end the conflict remain practically frozen, while the number of civilian casualties this year has risen to the highest level since the early months of the war, according to the United Nations (UN).
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the released Russian soldiers are in Belarus and, after receiving psychological and medical assistance, will be flown to Russia for rehabilitation.
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The United Arab Emirates mediated the exchange, the ministry added.
Since the start of the large-scale war, this Gulf state has mediated dozens of prisoner exchanges between Moscow and Kyiv.
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