Russia, Ukraine swap more than 300 POWs in deal mediated by UAE
Al Jazeera
While Russian Defence Ministry says 150 prisoners were swapped in a New Year deal, Zelenskyy welcomes 189 Ukrainians home.
Russia and Ukraine have swapped more than 300 prisoners of war (POWs) in an exchange brokered by the United Arab Emirates in advance of New Year’s Eve, officials from both countries said.
The Russian Ministry of Defence on Monday said it swapped 150 Ukrainian prisoners, while Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenksyy said 189 Ukrainians had returned home.
There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy in the numbers reported.
“The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. And today is one of such days: our team managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home,” Zelenskyy posted on the Telegram messaging app.
He said the swap included two civilians captured in the southern port city of Mariupol in 2022 as he thanked the UAE for helping negotiate the exchange.
