Russia and Ukraine Swap 115 Prisoners Each in UAE-Mediated Exchange

Russia and Ukraine have successfully conducted a prisoner exchange, with each side releasing 115 prisoners of war. This latest swap, mediated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was confirmed by both countries on Saturday.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Gulf country had mediated the exchange of 230 captives, marking its seventh mediation effort between the two nations this year. This mediation effort underscores the UAE’s ongoing role in facilitating dialogue and negotiations amid the ongoing conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that 115 Ukrainian POWs had been returned from Russia, while Russia acknowledged the release of 115 of its servicemen captured in the Kursk region during Ukraine’s military actions.
This exchange comes on the heels of Ukraine’s surprising incursion into the Kursk region on August 6. It follows a pattern of periodic prisoner swaps that have occurred throughout the conflict, despite the lack of formal peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early months of the war.
The most substantial previous exchange occurred on January 3, when a total of 478 captives were traded, facilitated once again by the UAE. According to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the total number of captives exchanged through its mediation now stands at 1,788.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy expressed his commitment to those freed, stating, “We remember everyone. We are searching for them and making every effort to bring them all back.”