Official announcements from Ukrainian government or credible news agencies

Ukraine Brings Home 189 Prisoners, Including Azovstal Defenders, in UAE-Mediated Exchange with Russia

Dec 30, 2024, 04:11 PM

Russia and Ukraine conducted a significant prisoner exchange on December 30, ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 150 Russian servicemen were returned from Ukrainian captivity in exchange for 150 Ukrainian soldiers, with the United Arab Emirates providing humanitarian mediation efforts. The Russian servicemen were taken to Belarus for medical and psychological assistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had brought home 189 Ukrainian citizens from Russian captivity, including 187 military personnel and two civilians. Among them were defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and Snake Island. The exchange involved members of various branches of the Ukrainian forces, including 87 servicemen from the Armed Forces (17 from Territorial Defense), 43 from the National Guard, 33 border guards, and 24 from the Navy. The exchange is one of the largest since the start of the full-scale invasion, bringing the total number of Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity to 3,956. This was the 11th prisoner swap conducted in 2024, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, and took place on the Belarusian border.