Russia and Ukraine Exchanged Prisoners of War on a 157-for-157 Basis

Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war with Russia through the mediation of the US and the UAE, and returned many defenders of Mariupol.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 157 people had been returned from Russian captivity.

The list of those released includes soldiers, sergeants, and officers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Service. Civilians are also returning home with the defenders.

The released servicemen defended the country in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, and Kyiv regions.

The 139 Ukrainian citizens released today had been held captive in Russia since 2022.

Exchange for the defenders of Mariupol

Most of the freed defenders were captured during the defense of Mariupol.

A soldier of the National Guard of Ukraine, who was captured during the seizure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, is also returning home.

The youngest freed defender is 23 years old. He was captured at the age of 19 during the defense of Mariupol.

A Russian court illegally sentenced the young man to “life imprisonment.”

Russia also handed over 157 people who are currently in Belarus.

Negotiations in the UAE

Earlier, US Special Envoy Stephen Witkoff announced the agreement on the prisoner exchange.

According to him, the result was made possible by detailed and productive trilateral negotiations that took place on February 4-5 in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

Witkoff noted that, although much work remains, these steps demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement yields concrete results and contributes to efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.

“Discussions will continue, and further progress is expected in the coming weeks,” he wrote.

The first day of the trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US, and Russia concluded in Abu Dhabi on February 4. The discussions lasted about five hours. They are scheduled to continue on February 5.