Ukraine and Russia Announce Major Prisoner Swap

KYIV - Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners for the first time in over four months on Friday, with 150 people released following discussions mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said that 75 Ukrainian detainees had been released from Russia. Four of them were civilians, while the others were military members.

According to Russia's Defense Ministry, Ukraine turned over 75 people in an agreement mediated by the UAE, as reported by RIA news agency.

"After a long pause, another prisoner swap took place: 75 defenders and civilians were released from the enemy's captivity," stated Ukraine's Coordinating Committee on Dealing with Prisoners of War.

The committee's statement was accompanied by photos of servicemen covered in blue and yellow national flags. Ukrainian officials hailed the return of 19 defenders from Snake Island, a small but strategically important rocky outcrop in the Black Sea. Snake Island received symbolic importance early in the war when Ukrainian guards famously refused to surrender to Russian troops.

The committee also revealed that as part of the exchange, Russia returned the bodies of 212 Ukrainian defenders.

📹: euronews

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Sources/Credits: Reuters | Breaking International News & Views