IRIA News

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Russia and Ukraine conducted a major prisoner swap exchanging 190 prisoners of war in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates. The exchange, which took place late on October 18, 2024, saw each side release 95 prisoners.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the returned Russian service members were taken to Belarus for medical checks. Belarus has been one of Russia’s most staunch allies throughout the conflict, which began in February 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian military footage showed smiling soldiers boarding buses, relieved to be returning home after months in captivity.

On the Ukrainian side, a video posted on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Telegram account depicted the emotional return of Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom were wrapped in the Ukrainian flag as they descended from a bus to the warm embrace of their loved ones. President Zelenskyy highlighted the significance of the moment, noting that these events bring Ukraine closer to ultimate freedom.

“Every time Ukraine rescues its people from Russian captivity, we get closer to the day when freedom will be returned to all who are in Russian captivity,” Zelenskyy said, underscoring the importance of these prisoner exchanges as part of Ukraine’s broader effort to reclaim all captives and territory under Russian control.

95 of our people are home again. These are the warriors who defended Mariupol and "Azovstal," as well as the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kherson regions.

Each time Ukraine rescues its people from Russian captivity, we bring closer the day when freedom will be… pic.twitter.com/kuJsGbja8T

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 18, 2024

Among the 95 Ukrainians released were some who had served on the frontlines in key battle zones, including the defenders of Mariupol. The port city of Mariupol, which saw fierce fighting early in the war, became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. The Azovstal steelworks, where Ukrainian defenders made a last stand, became widely recognized as a focal point of the city’s defense. Ukrainian forces held out for nearly three months before the city fell to Russian forces. Since then, Mariupol has remained under Russian occupation.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), President Zelenskyy emphasized the significance of the release, writing: “Ninety-five of our people are home again. These are the warriors who defended Mariupol and ‘Azovstal,’ as well as the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Kherson regions.”

Among the freed prisoners was Ukrainian rights activist and service member Maksym Butkevych, who had been convicted by a Russian court for allegedly shooting at Russian forces. Human rights organizations and Ukrainian media reported that 48 of the returnees had been sentenced by Russian courts before their release in the exchange. Butkevych’s return has garnered attention given his background as a well-known rights activist before joining the military.

UAE-mediated deal

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the successful prisoner swap, describing it as a “reflection of the cooperative and friendly relations between the UAE and both countries.” This exchange was not the first time the UAE had facilitated such negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

It was the ninth instance of the UAE playing a mediating role between the two warring nations. The Gulf nation has carved out a niche in brokering humanitarian deals, often using its diplomatic influence to mediate exchanges.

The UAE’s neutrality in the war, combined with its strong economic and political ties to both Russia and Ukraine, has made it a trusted mediator. The nation has leveraged these ties to broker multiple prisoner exchanges in a conflict that has otherwise shown few signs of peaceful resolution.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s commissioner for human rights, said that this latest exchange was the 58th such prisoner swap since the war began. He also noted that the total number of Ukrainian prisoners who returned home in February 2022 now stands at 3,767. These exchanges have been a critical part of the war’s humanitarian efforts, as both sides regularly negotiate for the release of captured soldiers in what are often sensitive and complex negotiations.

In addition to the prisoner swap, Ukraine announced the repatriation of the bodies of 501 soldiers who had been killed during the conflict. This marked one of the largest exchanges of bodies since the war began and primarily involved soldiers who died fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed this grim milestone, reflecting the heavy toll the war continues to take on both sides.

The human cost of war

While the war’s resolution remains elusive, these exchanges remind the world of the individual lives affected by the war, soldiers returning to their families, long-held captives reunited with loved ones, and the ongoing, painful sacrifices made on both sides.

The return of the 190 prisoners on Friday may be just one step in a long journey toward eventual peace, but for the families involved, it represents a moment of profound relief and joy amid the darkness of war.