Russia and Ukraine conduct prisoner exchange brokered by the UAE.

(CLO) Russia and Ukraine conducted a new prisoner exchange on Friday, with each side returning 95 prisoners in an agreement brokered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Russian Ministry of Defense , in a post on the Telegram messaging app, said that returning Russian soldiers are undergoing medical examinations in Belarus.

Ukrainian prisoners of war pose for a photo after an exchange at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Photo: AFP

A video posted on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Telegram account shows men, some draped in the green and yellow flags of Ukraine, disembarking from a bus in the dark of night and being embraced by their relatives.

Russian military videos also show soldiers smiling as they board buses.

President Zelenskyy said that the released prisoners had served on various fronts, including those who defended the port city of Mariupol for nearly three months in 2022.

Ukrainian media reports indicate that among those returning was Ukrainian journalist Maksym Butkevych, who had been convicted by a Russian court for firing on Russian forces.

The Ukrainian coordinating agency for prisoner-of-war affairs said that 48 of those repatriated had been convicted by the Russian judicial system.

Dmytro Lubinets, a Ukrainian parliamentarian on human rights, said this was the 58th prisoner exchange since the war began, bringing the total number of prisoners returned home to 3,767.

A private Russian group dedicated to protecting the rights of prisoners of war has published a list of those returning and stated that most were captured in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops launched a raid in August.

Ukrainian forces are still in Kursk, although the Russian military says its forces have recaptured some of the occupied territory.

A statement from the UAE Foreign Ministry said this was the ninth time the UAE had mediated in the conflict. The UAE described the exchange as “a reflection of the cooperative and friendly relationship between the UAE and both countries.”

The most recent prisoner exchange, involving 103 prisoners from each side, took place in September.

Hong Hanh (according to Reuters, AFP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nga-va-ukraine-tien-hanh-trao-doi-95-tu-binh-moi-nuoc-post317515.html