Russia and Ukraine said they have completed another prisoner swap, with the latest exchange involving 190 prisoners of war mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
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Russia's Defense Ministry said in a post on Telegram on July 17 that each side traded 95 people in the deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also confirmed the prisoner swap on Telegram.
"The released [Russian] servicemen will be delivered to Moscow by military transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces for treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense," the post said.
Zelenskiy thanked the U.A.E. for its help in facilitating the exchange, one of several between Moscow and Kyiv in recent months.
"I am thankful to our team involved in prisoners' exchange and the United Arab Emirates for facilitating the release," Zelenskiy wrote. "No matter how difficult it is, we are looking for everyone who may be in captivity. We must return everyone."
Zelenskiy added that those exchanged were soldiers of Ukraine's armed forces, servicemen of the National Guard, and border guards.
This marks the fifth time this year that the United Arab Emirates facilitated a prisoner swap, beginning on January 3 with the return of 230 Ukrainian nationals to Kyiv and 248 Russians freed by Ukraine.
On February 8, another exchange was conducted under a “100-for-100” formula with the United Arab Emirates involved again.
Last month, the Persian Gulf nation facilitated a prisoner exchange in which 90 prisoners from each side were returned to Ukraine and Russia.
Russian Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova said on July 17 that representatives of her office and their Ukrainian counterparts were present during the exchange and discussed "joint humanitarian efforts, including ones related to the reunification of families."
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubintes said earlier that similar talks between representatives of his and Moskalkova's offices were held at an exchange last month.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of having forcibly deported thousands of Ukrainian children from territories seized by occupying Russian armed forces since Moscow started its ongoing invasion in February 2022.
Moscow insists the Ukrainian children were moved for their own protection. Meanwhile, several of the children have been returned to Ukraine in recent months.
In March last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for their role in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, which is considered a war crime under international legislation.
Several children have been returned to Ukraine in recent months.