Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are seen after a swap, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine, in this handout picture released January 3, 2024. Ukrainian Armed Forces/Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War/Handout via REUTERS
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war after UAE mediation in the first significant swap since August. Meanwhile, Russia says it has downed 12 Ukrainian missiles over the Belgorod region. DW has the latest.
Russia and Ukraine announced on Wednesday that they had exchanged hundreds of captive soldiers, marking the first such prisoner of war exchange in months.
Russia’s Defense Ministry revealed that 248 Russian servicemen had been freed from Ukrainian custody after talks mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
On the other side, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that more than 200 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been released from Russian captivity.
Meanwhile, the war continued with Russia’s Defense Ministry saying its air defense systems had shot down 12 missiles launched from Ukraine over the southern Belgorod region, which lies at the border between the two countries.
The Telegram statement gave no word on casualties.
