Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 103 prisoners each, in a swap deal helped by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Russia’s defense ministry.
The ministry said that the Russian soldiers involved had been captured in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukrainian forces had taken control of this area during a recent operation.
The ministry also said that the Russian soldiers are now in Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological care, and are able to contact their families.
The UAE’s state news agency reported that this exchange, involving 206 prisoners in total, was the eighth time the UAE has helped in talks between Russia and Ukraine during the ongoing conflict.