Russia and Ukraine have each released 95 prisoners in their third prisoner exchange in recent weeks

(ABC – Australia) Russian and Ukrainian officials say a total of 190 captured soldiers have been released in a recent prisoner swap.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian Defense Ministry said both sides released 95 soldiers each.

Zelensky said the exchange was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

Russia and Ukraine have released a total of 190 captured soldiers in the latest prisoner exchange between the two sides, officials in Moscow and Kiev announced.

Throughout the war, the two sides conducted more than 50 separate exchanges, releasing thousands of prisoners. The two sides have reached a rare agreement in this area since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian Defense Ministry said separately on Wednesday that 95 of their own soldiers had been released.

“We continue to bring our people home. Another 95 activists have been released from Russia,” Zelensky said in a Telegram post.

He said the exchange was brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

“After negotiations, 95 Russian servicemen … have returned home,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a cable.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that 1,348 Russian soldiers were being held in Ukraine and that Russia had detained 6,465 Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Throughout the conflict, exchanges occurred sporadically.

Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, said her office met with her Ukrainian counterpart in the exchange, a rare direct meeting between officials from Moscow and Kiev.

The first such meeting took place in June at an exchange meeting, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Rubinets told AFP at the time.

Ms Moskakova said officials discussed “joint humanitarian operations, including those related to family reunification”.

Kiev accuses Russia of forcibly expelling thousands of Ukrainian children from territory controlled by Moscow and is working to secure their return.

Moscow said the children were being moved for their safety.

Several people have been repatriated, some through deals brokered by Qatar.

AFP

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