Two hundred Russian servicemen have been transferred to Belarus, while Moscows senior negotiator has said that 300 more will be released on Friday

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 200 prisoners each in a swap facilitated by the UAE and the US, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has announced. Hundreds more service members are expected to be released on Friday.

In a statement on Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the freed 200 Russian POWs had been transferred to Belarus, where they were being provided with medical and psychological care. They will be transported to Russia for further treatment in hospitals in the near future.

"Humanitarian efforts by the United Arab Emirates and the US facilitated the return of the Russian service members from [Ukrainian] captivity," the ministry noted.

Vladimir Medinsky, the senior Russian negotiator in peace talks aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict, wrote on his Telegram channel that the prisoner swap would continue on March 6, with 300 more POWs expected to be released by Moscow and Kiev each.

Russia and Ukraine have been engaged for months in US-mediated negotiations. The last round of talks was in Geneva in mid-February.

Medinsky described the meetings as "difficult but businesslike" at the time.

The previous known prisoner exchange was conducted earlier that month, with Moscow and Kiev releasing 157 troops each.

Additionally, three Russian civilians abducted by Ukrainian forces during their 2024 incursion into Kursk Region were freed, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported then.

Commenting on the swap, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said that it had been agreed during Washington-backed talks between Moscow and Kiev in Abu Dhabi.

He added that the exchange served as proof that "sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine."

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(RT.com)