Russia and Ukraine carried out a 175-for-175 prisoner-of-war exchange Saturday, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The swap was expected to take place after Russian media reported Friday that an exchange was planned ahead of Easter.
The Defense Ministry said that 175 Russian servicemen were released for 175 Ukrainian servicemen in a deal that was facilitated by the United Arab Emirates.
“Seven citizens of the Russian Federation—residents of the Kursk region—who had been illegally detained by the Kyiv regime have also been returned and will be transported home,” the statement also read.
Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova wrote on Telegram that these were the last Kursk residents still in Ukrainian captivity after Ukraine’s 2024 incursion into the Russian region, and that she was on her way to meet them in Belarus.
The Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus receiving “the necessary psychological and medical care,” ahead of a return to Russia, where they will reportedly be sent to the Defense Ministry’s rehab and medical facilities, the statement said.
Russia and Ukraine previously exchanged prisoners on March 6, in a 300-for-300 exchange.
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