Russia and Ukraine exchange 115 POWs each

(Patria) - Russia and Ukraine announced today that they have exchanged 115 prisoners of war each, just over two weeks after Kyiv launched a surprise raid into Russia's Kursk region, reports RSE.

The exchange followed Kyiv's offensive in Kursk and Russia's capture of more eastern Ukrainian cities. The exchange took place on Ukraine's Independence Day.

Both countries thanked the United Arab Emirates, which announced it had mediated the exchange deal.

- Another 115 of our defenders have returned home today. These are soldiers of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the State Border Guard Service," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Another 115 of our defenders have returned home today. These are warriors of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the State Border Guard Service.

We remember everyone. We are searching for them and making every effort to bring them all back.

I am grateful to each… pic.twitter.com/XiMAeANsOd

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 24, 2024

Kyiv announced it had captured hundreds of Russian soldiers during its raid into Kursk launched on August 6.

Moscow confirmed the exchange, saying it had returned 115 soldiers captured in Kursk.

"As a result of the negotiation process, 115 Russian soldiers captured in the Kursk region have been returned from the territories controlled by the Kyiv regime," the Russian Ministry of Defense announced.

The ministry stated that the soldiers are currently in neighboring Belarus, where they are receiving "psychological and medical assistance" and will soon be brought to Russia.

The United Arab Emirates announced that it had "successfully mediated a new prisoner exchange between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine".

Kyiv and Moscow have held rounds of prisoner exchanges during the war, which has been ongoing for more than two years.