Ukraine and Russia Conduct Major Prisoner Swap After Four-Month Hiatus

Ukraine and Russia have conducted their first prisoner exchange in four months, facilitated by the UAE. President Zelenskiy announced that 75 Ukrainian prisoners, including four civilians and military personnel, were freed. Russia acknowledged a reciprocal exchange. The swap included the return of Snake Island defenders and 212 Ukrainian bodies.

Ukraine and Russia announced their first exchange of prisoners of war in nearly four months on Friday, with 150 people freed after negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said 75 Ukrainian prisoners had been returned from Russia. They included four civilians while the rest were members of the military. Russia's Defence Ministry said Ukraine handed over 75 people in a deal brokered by the UAE, RIA news agency reported.

"After a long pause, another prisoner swap took place: 75 defenders and civilians were released from the enemy's captivity," Ukraine's Coordinating Committee on Dealing with Prisoners of War said. Pictures released with a statement from the committee showed servicemen draped in blue and yellow national flags.

Ukrainian officials said they brought back 19 defenders of Snake Island, a tiny rocky outcrop in the Black Sea that became a symbol of Ukrainian defiance in the first days of the war when Ukrainian guards refused to surrender to Russian forces. The committee also said that as a part of the swap, the bodies of 212 Ukrainian defenders were handed over by Russia.