The United Arab Emirates facilitated the transfer, returning fighters detained in the initial phase of the full-scale invasion.

Russia and Ukraine have each released 160 captured soldiers, both administrations confirmed on Friday, marking the latest prisoner exchange since Moscow initiated its full-scale invasion more than four years ago.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared the news via social media. «We keep bringing Ukrainians back from Russian captivity. Today, 160 servicemen were freed,» he stated, noting that «all had been prisoners since 2022.» His post included images of the returning soldiers wrapped in blue-and-yellow flags, smiling and embracing each other.

Russia’s defence ministry corroborated the count from their side, declaring «160 Russian servicemen have been returned» as «160 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over in exchange.» It mentioned the freed Russian troops were transported to Belarus for medical attention.

Throughout the conflict, Abu Dhabi has maintained a consistent role in coordinating such exchanges, most recently mediating a swap involving 205 individuals in May as part of a larger 1,000-for-1,000 arrangement linked to a short-lived US-mediated ceasefire, along with a 314-person exchange conducted in February after talks held in Abu Dhabi.

Since the invasion began in February 2022, prisoner swaps have remained among the few areas of tangible cooperation between Kyiv and Moscow, despite ongoing escalations. Ukraine has prioritized the repatriation of its captured soldiers throughout the war.

This latest exchange takes place amid Kyiv’s intensification of long-range strikes on Russian territory, with President Zelenskyy announcing a 40-day campaign targeting Russian logistics and military assets this week, including repeated drone attacks on Moscow and Crimea, currently occupied. Peace talks facilitated by Washington have stalled, with no formal agreement reached to date.