Moscow and Kyiv swap 103 servicemen each in UAE-mediated exchange

The Russian Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that Moscow and Kyiv conducted a prisoner exchange, with each side returning 103 servicemen in one of the few areas of continued cooperation during the ongoing conflict.

UAE mediation facilitates swap

The released Russian personnel were transferred to Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological assistance, the ministry said in a statement. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova is working with the returned servicemen to coordinate their rehabilitation and document their conditions, it added.

Reciprocal handover

"In exchange, 103 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were handed over," the ministry said. The Defense Ministry specifically thanked the United Arab Emirates for providing mediation assistance in arranging the exchange.

Rare dialogue channel

Prisoner swaps have remained a rare point of practical engagement between Moscow and Kyiv since hostilities began. The UAE has previously helped facilitate similar exchanges, continuing its role as a key mediator between the parties.