Russia and Ukraine swap 168 prisoners in UAE-brokered deal
The total number of prisoners exchanged by the two nations, brokered by the UAE, is now 4,349, released in 16 exchanges.
The move was welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who posted a statement on X.
"We are bringing Ukrainians back home to Ukraine. A new exchange, 84 people, both military personnel and civilians. Almost all of them require medical care and significant rehabilitation," he wrote.
He said those being released included Ukrainians being held by Russia since 2014. The "defenders of Mariupol" were among those being released in the exchange on Thursday, he added.
"I thank the UAE for its assistance in this exchange. And above all, I thank our warriors who replenish Ukraine's 'exchange fund' every week on the front line," wrote Mr Zelenskyy.
"The bravery and effectiveness of our units on the front line make it possible, among other things, to bring our people back home. There will be more exchanges."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its thanks to Ukraine and Russia for the success of the UAE's mediation efforts, state news agency Wam reported.
"With the success of this mediation, the total number of Emirati mediations during the crisis has reached 16, confirming the strength and excellence of the UAE's relations with both the Russian Federation and Ukraine," Wam said.
The ministry affirmed the UAE would continue to ensure the success of various efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and mitigating the humanitarian impact of the war.
President Sheikh Mohamed made an official visit to Moscow last week, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During their meeting, Sheikh Mohamed thanked Mr Putin for facilitating the UAE's mediation concerning the prisoner exchanges, while Mr Putin thanked Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE's prisoner swap efforts.
Mr Putin is due to meet US President Donald Trump at an airbase in Alaska on Friday for a summit, which the Kremlin said would focus on "the resolution of the Ukraine crisis".
It will be the first time the Russian leader has been permitted on western soil since his country's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since.
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