Ukraine and Russia exchanged 185 service personnel each on Friday in the latest prisoner-of-war swap, officials from both countries confirmed.
Most of the Ukrainian soldiers returned home had been held in Russia since 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on X. He added that one civilian was also released by Russia. According to Ukraine’s general staff, the oldest of the freed Ukrainians is 62.
Friday’s exchange marks the second swap carried out under a deal committing both sides to release 1,000 prisoners of war each, part of a three-day ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States in early May.
Russia’s defence ministry said the United Arab Emirates, which has overseen previous rounds of exchanges, also mediated the latest swap, announcing the details on the Telegram app.
