Russia and Ukraine will conduct a large-scale prisoner swap on Saturday, with the United Arab Emirates once again serving as mediator, The Telegraph reports, citing Reuters sources.
The exchange will involve nearly 500 prisoners — 246 from each side — along with 46 injured soldiers. It marks the 13th swap facilitated by Abu Dhabi since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. In total, 3,233 captives have been exchanged through UAE-brokered efforts.
The most recent exchange took place on 19 March, when 175 Ukrainian defenders were released from Russian captivity. According to Kyiv, a total of 197 people were returned — 175 through the official swap and 22 via special operations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced the March exchange a day earlier during a phone call with former US President Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later confirmed that the swap had been prepared in advance.
Saturday’s exchange comes amid growing diplomatic pressure. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington may soon abandon efforts to mediate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine unless there are immediate signs of progress toward a ceasefire.
