Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner of war swap on Friday, sending back 193 captured personnel each in an exchange both sides said was facilitated by the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
“It is important that there are exchanges and that our people are returning home,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a post on Telegram.
His chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, and Russia’s defense ministry said the US and the UAE had assisted with the exchange. Russia and Ukraine have conducted many prisoner swaps over four years of war, exchanging thousands of captives in total.