Official announcements from the UAE government or involved countries' defense ministries

Russia and Ukraine Swap 300 Prisoners in UAE-Brokered Exchange

Dec 30, 2024, 03:19 PM

On December 30, 2024, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange ahead of New Year's Eve, swapping prisoners of war in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates. Russia's Ministry of Defense announced that 150 Russian soldiers were returned from Ukrainian captivity and are now receiving medical and psychological assistance in Belarus, with an equal number of Ukrainian prisoners handed over to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 189 Ukrainians, including 187 military personnel and two civilians, have been brought back from Russian captivity. The freed individuals include defenders of Azovstal, Mariupol, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and Snake Island. This marks one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the full-scale war began and is the 11th exchange in 2024.