Russia, Ukraine exchange prisoners in UAE mediated deal

By Stefan J. Bos

As they stepped out of a bus, released Ukrainian prisoners of war celebrated their return near the Ukraine-Belarus border on September 13.

The release primarily concerned soldiers – including 23 women – captured around the siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in 2022.

The next day, Moscow and Kyiv swapped 103 prisoners of war, with both deals brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

“At home, thank you, we are at home. It was 846 days of hell. Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes,” said Igor Titovsky, an Azov brigade fighter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared in his joy, saying, “Our people are home.”

The Russian Ministry of Defence said its 103 released servicemen came from among those captured by Ukrainian forces when they entered Russia’s Kursk area.

Surprise attack

Last month, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise attack across the Russian border, advancing up to 30 kilometers (18 miles) into the Kursk region.

President Zelenskyy said the freed Ukrainians included 82 privates and sergeants and 21 officers from the armed forces, national guard, border guards, and police.

He stressed that they had been captured defending the regions of Kyiv, Donetsk, Mariupol, Azovstal, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv.

Russia announced that its released soldiers were in Belarus and would be given the “necessary psychological and medical assistance.”

Moscow also announced they would be allowed to contact their relatives before being returned to Russia.

The deal was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, which has remained broadly neutral since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

It was also a small joy in a war that has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people.