Exchange of 157 Russian prisoners of war for 157 Ukrainian soldiers mediated by the UAE and the US
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that today, Thursday (February 6), 157 Russian servicemen were released from Ukrainian captivity in exchange for the release of 157 Ukrainian soldiers in a prisoner exchange operation mediated by the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, three Russian citizens living in Kursk Oblast who were illegally detained by Ukrainian authorities will also be released and returned to their homes in the exchange.
The released Russian soldiers are currently in the Republic of Belarus and are receiving initial psychological and medical assistance; then they will be transferred to medical centers affiliated with the Russian Ministry of Defense for full treatment and rehabilitation.
The exchange was carried out through humanitarian mediation efforts by the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Previously, the US special envoy announced that the Russian, Ukrainian, and US delegations had reached an agreement in Abu Dhabi talks on the exchange of 314 prisoners; this operation is considered the first major prisoner exchange in the past five months.
