It’s the first such alternate since Ukraine launched a shock incursion into Russia’s Kursk area on August 6.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 115 prisoners of battle from either side, each international locations confirmed, with the United Arab Emirates performing as an middleman.
“The UAE has efficiently mediated a brand new captives alternate between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine, ensuing within the launch of 230 captives,” the Gulf nation’s Ministry of International Affairs stated on Saturday.
It was the UAE’s seventh mediation effort this yr between the 2 international locations, the ministry stated in a press release.
Whereas Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated 115 Ukrainian POWs have been returned from Russia, Russia confirmed that 115 of its servicemen captured within the Kursk area throughout Ukraine’s ongoing incursion have been launched.
Each side have carried out periodic prisoner swaps by way of intermediaries because the battle started almost two years in the past, regardless of the absence of any peace talks between them because the early months of the battle.
This was the primary such swap since Ukraine shocked Russia by crossing the border into Kursk on August 6.
One of the biggest exchanges was on January 3, when the warring international locations traded a complete of 478 captives following mediation by the UAE.
The UAE ministry stated that the overall variety of captives exchanged by means of its mediation efforts now stood at 1,788.
Zelenskyy stated these freed included members of the nation’s nationwide guard, the armed forces and the navy.
“We keep in mind everybody,” he stated in a submit on X. “We’re trying to find them and making each effort to convey all of them again.”
One other 115 of our defenders have returned residence as we speak. These are warriors of the Nationwide Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the State Border Guard Service.
We keep in mind everybody. We’re trying to find them and making each effort to convey all of them again.
I’m grateful to every… pic.twitter.com/XiMAeANsOd
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 24, 2024
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s commissioner for human rights, stated 82 of the returned Ukrainians had defended the southeastern port metropolis of Mariupol in 2022, which Russia took management of.
The most recent alternate was introduced as Ukraine on Saturday celebrated its 33rd independence day from the Soviet Union amid the protracted battle.
Russia needed to “destroy” Ukraine however battle has “returned to its residence”, Zelenskyy stated in an independence day video handle.
Ukraine’s offensive in Kursk is without doubt one of the most vital cross-border assaults because the battle started in 2022.
Regardless of the incursion, Russia continues to make advances in japanese Ukraine.
