Largest Prisoner Exchange between Ukraine and Russia to Date

In what is being hailed as the largest prisoner exchange of the war, Ukraine and Russia have swapped hundreds of prisoners of war. Ukrainian officials have confirmed that 230 prisoners, including members of the armed forces and border guards, have been released from Russian captivity. In return, Ukraine has released 248 Russians in a deal mediated by the United Arab Emirates. This exchange marks the first major swap since August of last year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his joy over the release, stating on social media that "our people are home" and that over 200 warriors and civilians have been brought back from Russian captivity. The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the negotiations were challenging. Prisoner exchanges have occurred between the two countries several times since the war began in February 2022. However, Zelensky mentioned last month that the process had slowed down, citing "specific reasons" on Russia's side. Photos and videos of the prisoner releases were shared separately by Russian and Ukrainian officials. One video released by Moscow displayed some of the freed Russians happily smiling while aboard a bus. Among the liberated Ukrainian soldiers were seven defenders of Snake Island, a rocky outcrop in the Black Sea. Snake Island gained significance as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance when a border guard stationed there refused to surrender to the Russian warship Mosvka during Russia's invasion. Other released prisoners include National Guardsmen captured in the Chernobyl exclusion zone and soldiers detained during the battle for the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Additionally, six civilians were among those freed, according to Kyiv. Both Ukraine and Russia expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for mediating the prisoner exchange. Last month, Ukraine declared that it had released 2,598 individuals from Russian captivity through 48 separate swaps. Some of the Ukrainian prisoners of war who were previously freed have shared accounts of torture, including beatings and electric shocks.