Russia and Ukraine exchange 230 prisoners of war after Kursk border raid

The Russian prisoners are recruits who were doing military service when Ukrainian troops entered Kursk on August 6 / Photo: EFE

Russia and Ukraine on Saturday exchanged 230 prisoners of war, captured in the case of the Russians during the Ukrainian border raid in the Kursk region.

“In exchange, 115 soldiers have been handed over to the Ukrainian army,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The 115 freed Russian prisoners are now believed to be in Belarus, where they are undergoing medical and psychological tests.

The official statement said the exchange was made possible thanks to the humanitarian mediation of the United Arab Emirates, which had already mediated on previous occasions.

Recruits

According to Telegram channels and military bloggers, the Russian prisoners are conscripts who were serving in the military when Ukrainian troops entered Kursk on August 6.

The fact that many of those arrested are recruits has sparked outrage among their mothers and human rights organisations.

The Russian border is guarded by the Federal Security Service, but in the face of its inability to ensure its security, the Ministry of Defence has created three new military formations in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions.

The war in Ukraine will be two and a half years old on Saturday, and the Russian army has still not been able to expel enemy troops from the Kursk region.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the exchange was made possible thanks to humanitarian mediation by the United Arab Emirates.

Change

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also announced the return of 115 prisoners of war from Russian captivity, as Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day.

“Another 115 defenders returned home today. These are soldiers of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy and the State Border Guard,” he wrote on his social media, along with photos showing the former prisoners draped in Ukrainian flags.

Moscow / EFE