Russia, Ukraine swap 205 prisoners of war each

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each on Friday, Moscow and Kyiv said.

The Russian defence ministry said in a statement on social media that "205 Russian servicemen were returned from territory" controlled by Kyiv, adding that, "in exchange, 205 Ukrainian armed forces prisoners of war were transferred".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram most of the Ukrainians handed over had been in Russian captivity since 2022. Moscow's defence ministry said its troops were brought to its ally Belarus, where "they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance". It added that "the United Arab Emirates provided humanitarian assistance during the return of the Russian servicemen from captivity".