Ukraine and Russia carry out largest prisoner exchange since beginning of the war
By Niamh Kennedy, Olga Voitovych and Darya Tarasova, CNN
(CNN) — Ukraine and Russia have each exchanged over 200 prisoners of war in what Kyiv called the largest prisoner swap between the two countries since the war began in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the news in a social media post Wednesday, heralding the return of over 200 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from Russian captivity.
The two sides have exchanged prisoners throughout the conflict but this is the first major swap since August.
Among the group are seven soldiers who defended Snake Island, a rocky island in the Black Sea which became an evocative symbol of Ukrainian resistance in February 2022 when Ukrainian defenders managed to fend off a takeover from Russian soldiers.
Soldiers who defended the besieged southern city of Mariupol and its Azovstal steel plant were also exchanged alongside POWs detained in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, according to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak.
Video released by the Ukrainian Presidency shows the freed Ukrainian prisoners gathered outside coaches. Some of them are draped in Ukraine’s blue and white flag.
Posting on Telegram, Yermak called it a “difficult exchange after a long pause.” The last major exchange of prisoners was carried out in August 2023 with Yermak pledging Wednesday to keep working to secure the release of all detained Ukrainians.
In return, Russia said 248 Russian servicemen were returned from Ukrainian controlled territory. In a Telegram post, the Russian defense ministry credited the exchange to “the humanitarian intervention” of the United Arab Emirates.
The ministry pledged to provide all the “necessary medical and psychological assistance” to the returned servicemen, adding that they will receive treatment at ministry-operated medical facilitates.
The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign affairs hailed the successful mediation as a reflection of the friendly relations the UAE maintains with both Russia and Ukraine, according to the WAM Emirates News Agency.
The exchange marks a rare moment of cooperation in the war, which is nearing its third year and has recently seen some of the most severe attacks yet launched.
In December Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of the conflict, killing at least 47 people and injuring over 150 others.
Soon after, in one of its single deadliest attacks inside Russian territory, Russia said Ukraine bombarded the border city of Belgorod, killing 24 people, including three children, and injuring 107 others.
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