Russia and Ukraine returned 90 prisoners of war from each country this Tuesday (25), in the most recent of several periodic exchanges in the conflict. The United Arab Emirates supervised the episode as an intermediary.
The last exchange took place on May 31, when each side handed over 75 prisoners of war, also with the United Arab Emirates acting as intermediary. The occasion marked the first exchange in almost four months.
Russia said the prisoners returned Tuesday faced mortal danger in captivity.
Ukraine said those repatriated included soldiers who defended the Azovstal steel plant in a three-month siege in 2022 and others taken prisoner when Russian forces seized the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement cited by state news agency WAM, said the mediation was successful because it leveraged “its distinct ties and partnership with both sides, including as a trusted mediator between both parties ”.
Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the UAE has maintained neutral rhetoric on the conflict and continued to mediate between the two sides for prisoner exchanges.
Russia’s reaction
The Russian Defense Ministry, in a Telegram post, said: “As a result of negotiations, 90 Russian prisoners of war who risked death in captivity are being returned from areas under Kiev control.”
Officials said the Russian prisoners were able to return home “with the UAE participating as intermediaries in a humanitarian capacity.”
The freed Russian prisoners would be transported to Moscow where they would undergo medical examinations, the ministry said.
Ukraine’s reaction
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said most of the freed soldiers were soldiers and sergeants, and that the exchange was another step in the process of bringing all the detainees home.
“We will return everyone else in the same way,” the Ukrainian leader said in an evening video speech.
Zelensky thanked the UAE for facilitating the exchange and pledged to continue efforts to bring home those still detained.
“We are seeking the truth about everyone – where a person is, what condition they are in, what is needed for their return,” he added
Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said those returning from captivity would also undergo medical examinations and receive help to resume their lives.
A video posted on Zelensky’s Telegram channel showed men exiting a bus to be greeted and given blue and yellow national flags to hang over their shoulders.
Source: CNN Brasil

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