Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the two nations on Wednesday announced their biggest single-day prisoner swap, with both sides releasing more than 200 war captives each, after a complex negotiation with the involvement of the United Arab Emirates.
Russia’s Defence Ministry stated that it had freed 248 military personnel and handed them over to Ukraine. Kyiv noted that they brought home a total of 230 people- 224 soldiers and six civilians. The UAE Foreign Ministry confirmed its involvement in the prisoner exchange, maintaining that it was only possible because the country shares strong friendly ties with both Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, the UAE urged both nations to find a peaceful solution to the war.
A video has been released by the Ukrainian authorities which showed prisoners draped in the Ukrainian flag on a bus, singing the national anthem, and echoing the patriotic greeting, “Glory to Ukraine”. Most of the prisoners, who returned to Kyiv seemed in good health, yet they would undergo medical checks and treatments. A similar sort of video was released by Russia’s Ministry of Defence where uniformed prisoners were seen arriving in Belgorod in buses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that it was a “great day for Ukraine, vowing that he would press on with further swaps by facilitating an “exchange fund” of captured Russian soldiers. “The more Russians we capture, the more effective the negotiations regarding swaps will be,” he added. (BYTE: VIDEO 3: start to 0.18) Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
Though there has been a lack of conversations on how to end the war, both Kyiv and Moscow have indulged in prisoner swaps since the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, the latest prisoner swap comes after a long period of nearly five months, with the last exchange taking place in August 2023.
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