Ukraine, Russia exchange prisoners first time since start of Kursk operation

This was confirmed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

‘Another 115 of our defenders returned home today. These are soldiers of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the State Border Guard Service. We remember each and every one of them. We are looking for them and making every effort to bring them back,’ the President said.

Zelenskyy also thanked all the units that help to replenish Ukraine's exchange fund, our partners and the UAE for their assistance in the exchange. 

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, also commented on the exchange.

‘The army is working. We are providing an exchange fund to return everyone,’ he wrote.

Mariupol defenders

According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, 92 of the 115 defenders returned from Russian captivity are servicemen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Most of them are defenders of Mariupol. 

‘89 soldiers of the National Guard and 3 soldiers of the State Border Guard Service are already on their native land. Almost 90 per cent of them are conscripts who had been held captive by the aggressor for more than two years,’ he noted.

He added that the military is currently being provided with all the necessary assistance and support.

What Russia claims

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russia has returned 115 prisoners of war who surrendered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region. In return, Moscow handed over 115 Ukrainian prisoners of war to Kyiv, Reuters writes, citing a UAE official and the Russian Defense Ministry, TASS reports.

‘All the released servicemen will be taken to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions. The UAE took an intermediary role in the return of the Russian military from captivity,’ the ministry added, TASS reported.

At the same time, the VCHK-OGPU Telegram channel notes that Russia has returned the captured conscripts.

This is the first exchange since August 6, when the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched an operation in the Kursk region of Russia.

• On August 14, more than 100 Russian servicemen surrendered to the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kursk region.
• On August 15, it was reported that representatives of Ukraine and Russia began negotiations on the exchange of prisoners captured during the operation in the Kursk region. The exact number of soldiers was not disclosed.