Russia and Ukraine stage new prisoner exchange, Russian defence ministry, Ukraine president say
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Olha embraces her son Yevhen, a freed Ukrainian prisoner of war, as he left a bus after a swap in an undisclosed location in Ukraine.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MOSCOW - Russia and Ukraine exchanged 146 prisoners of war from each side on Aug 24 after mediation by the United Arab Emirates, the Russian defence ministry and the Ukrainian president said.
The Russian ministry said all of the freed Russians were in Belarus receiving psychological and medical assistance.
Ukraine also returned to Moscow eight Russian citizens, residents of the Kursk region, the ministry said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, writing on the Telegram messaging app, announced that the exchange had taken place, but gave no figures.
The president posted pictures of smiling returnees, saying most of them had been in captivity since 2022,
Mr Zelensky thanked the United Arab Emirates for its role in overseeing the swap.
"The exchanges are continuing. Perhaps that is possible because of our soldiers, who are increasing the exchange fund for Ukraine," the president wrote, referring to the capture of Russian servicemen. REUTERS
