Russia and Ukraine completed a prisoner swap on Friday, each bringing home 95 soldiers in an exchange mediated by the United Arab Emirates. The exchange marks another instance of diplomatic intervention by the UAE in the ongoing conflict, now in its third year.
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the return of its soldiers via Telegram, stating that the men were undergoing medical evaluations in Belarus, a close Russian ally. In a video posted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Telegram, Ukrainian soldiers—some draped in blue and yellow flags—were seen reuniting with family members under the cover of night. A Russian military video showed returning soldiers boarding buses, visibly relieved.
Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of each prisoner’s return, noting, “Every time Ukraine rescues its people from Russian captivity, we get closer to the day when freedom will be returned to all.” According to the president, the released Ukrainian soldiers served across various frontlines, including those who held their ground in Mariupol for nearly three months in 2022.
Ukrainian news outlets reported that among the returnees was Maksym Butkevych, a journalist and rights advocate recently convicted by a Russian court on charges related to combat actions. Ukrainian officials also disclosed that 48 of the released Ukrainians had received sentences in Russian courts.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, noted that this release marked the 58th prisoner exchange since the conflict began, bringing the total of Ukrainians repatriated to 3,767. In a separate statement, a Russian private organization advocating for prisoners of war shared a list of returnees, many of whom had been captured in the Kursk region, where Ukraine launched an offensive in August. Zelenskyy acknowledged that the soldiers involved in this incursion contributed to the pool of Russian detainees available for future exchanges.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s Foreign Ministry highlighted this exchange as its ninth instance of war mediation, reflecting the Gulf state’s neutral stance and diplomatic ties with both countries. The most recent prisoner swap before this exchange took place in September, involving 103 prisoners from each side.
