Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia each exchanged 185 service personnel on Friday, officials in both countries said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said most of the Ukrainians returned had been held in Russian captivity since 2022.
Exchange details
Zelenskiy said on X that Russia also returned one civilian. According to Kyiv’s general staff, the oldest Ukrainian being brought back is 62.
Agreement framework
The swap was the second carried out under an agreement between the two countries to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each. The agreement was part of a three-day ceasefire deal brokered by the United States in early May.
Mediation
The Russian defence ministry said on Telegram that the United Arab Emirates mediated the Friday exchange, as it had in previous rounds of swaps.