The Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has said that Ukraine and Russia carried out their largest prisoner swap since February 2022….reports Asian Lite News
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the success of the UAE’s mediation regarding the exchange of captives between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine.
The Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has said that Ukraine and Russia carried out their largest prisoner swap since February 2022.
Under the exchange on Wednesday, 230 Ukrainian captives, including six civilians, had been returned from Russian custody, the agency was quoted as saying. Among those freed are service people from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service and the National Police.
Representatives of Ukraine announced the release of 230 captives, while representatives of Russia claimed that 248 servicemen had been brought back on Wednesday, following mediation by the United Arab Emirates.
The exchange marked the first prisoner swap between the parties since August. More than 2,800 Ukrainians taken captive in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have been released so far as a result of prisoner exchanges.
The UAE Foreign Ministry emphasised that the success of the mediation efforts was a reflection of the strong friendly relations between the UAE and both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine, which were supported by sustained calls at the highest levels, and which resulted in one of the largest exchanges of captives between the two sides since the beginning of the war.
The Ministry expressed its appreciation to the governments of Russia and Ukraine for their cooperation and response to the UAE’s mediation efforts to make the exchange process a success, despite the challenges posed by the ongoing war.
The Ministry affirmed the UAE’s commitment to continuing efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, stressing its position of calling for a diplomatic solution, dialogue and de-escalation, and its endeavours to support all initiatives that mitigate the humanitarian repercussions resulting from the crisis.
Meanwhile, Russia reported on Wednesday that it had intercepted 12 missiles aimed at one of its southernmost districts that border Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported. Following repeated missile and drone attacks by Ukraine, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod area, stated that the situation “continues to remain tense.”
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