Russia and Ukraine exchange 300 POW soldiers on New Year’s Eve

Russia announced on Monday, December 30, that it carried out an exchange of prisoner soldiers con Ukraineof 150 soldiers from each side, after mediation by the United Arab Emirates.

“On December 30, as a result of a negotiation process, 150 Russian servicemen were repatriated from the territory controlled by the kyiv regime. In exchange, 150 prisoners of war from the Ukrainian army were handed over,” the Russian army stated.

According to the Russian military, “the United Arab Emirates provided humanitarian mediation for the return from captivity of Russian military personnel,” who “are currently in Belarus,” an ally of Moscow and a neighbor of Ukraine.

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The United Arab Emirates, very active in talks on prisoner exchanges between kyiv and Moscow, are also mediating for the return of Ukrainian children to their country from Russia.

The delegate of human rights Russian, Tatiana Moskalkova, praised on Telegram “the bravery” of the freed russian soldiersduring a brief conversation with them broadcast on video.

“Happy new year! Merry christmas!“he added, wishing them “all the best.”

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisons since the Russian offensive began in February 2022 and regularly exchange the remains of soldiers killed in combat.

A total of 189 Ukrainians held captive in Russia returned to their country on Monday in a prisoner exchange, which included 187 military personnel and 2 civilians, the president reported. Volodymyr Zelensky.

“The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for all of us and today is one of those days: our team managed to return 189 Ukrainians home,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to Zelensky, this figure includes two civilians who were captured in Mariupol during the siege of the city almost 3 years ago, as well as the soldiers who defended the city and its steel plant “Azovstal”, including those of the Azov regiment.

Soldiers and officers who were captured by Russia during the occupation of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Snake Island and various parts of the front line have also returned.

“It is a joy that we managed to bring them back. Today, 189 more families are happy,” Zelensky said.

“We are working to free everyone from russian captivity. This is our goal. We are not forgetting anyone,” stressed the Ukrainian president, who thanked the country’s partners abroad for their help, in particular the United Arab Emirates.

Many of the returning prisoners of war remained in Russian captivity for more than two and a half years and suffered illnesses and consequences from their serious injuries, the Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.

According to Zelensky, 3,956 people have so far returned from Russian captivity – in 59 exchanges since the start of the invasion – including 1,358 who returned in 11 exchanges in 2024.

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