Russia, Ukraine swap 206 prisoners in exchange deal, Zelensky says

FRANCE 24
·1 min read

Russia and Ukraine successfully exchanged 103 prisoners of war each on Saturday in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates. Despite ongoing hostilities, the two nations have managed several POW swaps throughout the conflict, with this latest exchange following a similar deal made just three weeks ago.

Russia said Saturday it swapped 103 Ukrainian soldiers held captive for an equal number of Russian POWs in an exchange deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.

The Russian troops freed in Saturday's swap were captured during Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region, which began on 6 August, according to the Russian defence ministry.

"As a result of the negotiation process, 103 Russian servicemen captured in the Kursk region were returned from territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," the Russian defence ministry said.

"In return, 103 Ukrainian army prisoners of war were handed over."

"At present, all Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they are being provided with the necessary psychological and medical assistance, as well as an opportunity to contact their relatives," the ministry added.

"Our people are home. We have successfully brought back another 103 warriors from Russian captivity to Ukraine," Zelensky wrote on social media platform X.


Read more on FRANCE 24 English

Read also:
Biden, Starmer delay decision to approve long-range strikes inside Russia
Zelensky says Kursk offensive 'slowed' Russian advance in eastern Ukraine
Russia and Ukraine free 95 POWs each in latest prisoner exchange

Latest Stories

  • Michael Moore Warns This Move Could Cost Kamala Harris The Election

    On the same day Vice President Kamala Harris is campaigning in Flint, Michigan, Michael Moore is warning of a fatal “mistake that could be made in these final 4-5 weeks” until Election Day.“If Harris is advised by her wealthy donors to shun the left and drop her more progressive positions in favor of a ‘move to the center,’” Moore, who grew up in the suburbs of the Midwestern city he made famous in his debut documentary Roger & Me (but has since moved away), writes in a new Substack post, it cou

  • Anderson Cooper Struggles To Speak After Watching Weird Melania Trump Clip Live On Air

    "Sorry, it’s the first time I’m seeing that. That’s the weirdest promo I’ve ever seen," the CNN anchor said.

  • Liz Cheney Splotches Donald Trump With Golden Line About Her Past

    The lifelong Republican's zing came during a joint rally appearance with Donald Trump's Democratic rival, Kamala Harris.

  • Revealed: The real reason why people are leaving Donald Trump’s rallies as he is still on stage

    Over the past months the former president has seemingly become more and more obsessed with attendance – amid claims that his fans are leaving early ‘out of frustration and boredom’

  • Harvard Law Professor Spots 2 'Jaw-Dropping' Details In New Trump Filing

    Laurence Tribe recalled saying one word to himself over and over and over again while reading the document.

  • MTG’s New Hurricane Helene Conspiracy: ‘They Can Control the Weather’

    Marjorie Taylor Greene challenges YOU to prove Hurricane Helene wasn’t an inside job.As the death toll from one of the worst U.S. storms in recent memory topped 200 on Friday morning, the Republican congresswoman and noted conspiracy theorist posted a timely reminder on X that “yes they can control the weather” and that “it’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”Her comments came hot on the heels of another post featuring an electoral map of areas worst hit by the hurricane, wa

  • Trump Souvenir Vendors Brawl Before Michigan MAGA Rally

    The former president's campaign team said the Trump merchandise sellers were ejected.

  • Trump Made Crass Jokes About Death of Rally Attendee in Leaked Recording

    Donald Trump was reportedly caught on tape turning the grieving widow of a man who died at one of his rallies into a source of amusement for his uber-wealthy dinner guests.The recording, obtained by The Guardian, apparently comes from a private meal Trump held Aug. 10 in Aspen, Colorado. In it, the Republican presidential nominee reportedly recalled a meeting with the wife of Corey Comperatore, the man who was killed by shots fired at Trump by Thomas Crooks at a Pennsylvania rally in July.“So th

  • Trump Mocks Joe Biden’s Beach Body in (Another) Bizarre Rant

    Donald Trump spent a large chunk of his campaign rally Thursday railing not against his actual opponent, Kamala Harris, but taking pot shots at his old rival Joe Biden over how he looks in a swimsuit.Throughout his speech in Saginaw, Michigan, Trump seemed preoccupied with the push Democrats made over the summer to get Biden—a weaker candidate than Harris, according to polling—to step aside.“That was a coup of an American president,” Trump said. “They took his presidency, they said, ‘You get the

  • Social Media Reacts To Melania Trump's 'My Body, My Choice' Video

    Many people wondered if the clip to promote the former first lady's upcoming memoir was actually a campaign ad for her husband's opponent.

  • Government brought to standstill following Speaker’s ruling

    Government business has been on an indefinite pause after House Speaker Greg Fergus ruled that the government "clearly did not fully comply" with an order from the House to provide documents related to a now-defunct foundation responsible for doling out hundreds of millions of federal dollars for green technology projects. (Oct. 3, 2024)

  • Liz Cheney’s Speech Seriously Hurt Donald Trump’s Feelings

    Donald Trump launched into an unhinged attack on Liz Cheney after the former Republican congresswoman denounced him in a speech at a Kamala Harris campaign event on Thursday afternoon.“Liz Cheney lost her Congressional Seat by the largest margin in the history of Congress for a sitting Representative,” he fumed in a Truth Social post after the former Wyoming rep’s remarks. “The people of Wyoming are really smart! She is a low IQ War Hawk that, as a member of the J6 Unselect Committee of Politica

  • CNN Reporter Warns Kamala Harris Campaign Looks ‘Like a Loser’

    CNN data reporter Harry Enten says that one key statistic may spell serious trouble for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign just one month out from the election—so much so that a win would be, in his words, “historically unprecedented.”In a segment with host John Berman, Enten analyzed the polling data around the question, “Do you think the country is on the right track?” Apparently, just 28 percent of Americans think that the United States is currently headed in the right direct

  • Iran's Khamenei urges allies to step up struggle against Israel

    (Reuters) -Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared in public on Friday for the first time since Iran's missile attack on Israel, describing it as legitimate punishment for what he called Israeli crimes and calling for more anti-Israel struggle. Delivering his first Friday prayers sermon in nearly five years, Khamenei said Israel's adversaries in the region should "double your efforts and capabilities... and resist the aggressive enemy". The deputy commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the country's most powerful military force, said meanwhile that Iran would strike Israeli energy and gas installations if Israel attacked it.

  • Russia is facing a 'time bomb' at the heart of its economy, economist says

    "Putin's war not only imposes on today's Russians a worse life than they otherwise would have had. It also condemns future generations."

  • Ukrainian aircraft fire British-French cruise missiles at Russian troops advancing on key city

    Ukrainian aircraft fired British-French cruise missiles at Russian troops attempting to advance towards a key city in eastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian security source has told Sky News. The source shared drone footage that purportedly shows strikes on what he described as "two command centres of massive troops formations slowly advancing on Pokrovsk". The attack took place at 11am on Friday in the town of Avdiivka, which was captured by Russian forces in February.

  • Bruce Springsteen Adds Pointed Twist To His Kamala Harris Endorsement

    The "Born To Run" icon's declaration of support for the vice president was also about something else.

  • Whoopi Goldberg Questions Her Producer On Air After 'The View' Shares Trump 'Legal Note'

    The show's co-host asked why Sunny Hostin read a denial on the former president's behalf.

  • Oklahoma School Official’s Bid To Buy Classroom Bibles Appears Suspiciously Specific

    The Bible endorsed by Donald Trump and Lee Greenwood looks like a perfect fit for what controversy-courting school superintendent Ryan Walters is looking for.

  • Stephen Colbert Makes 'Weird' Discovery In Jack Smith's New Trump Brief

    The "Late Show" host pointed to the special counsel's "damning language" in his 165-page filing on Trump.