On 5 February, Ukraine and Russia carried out their first prisoner exchange of the year in a 157-for-157 format.
The exchange took place via the territory of Belarus. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, Russian servicemen are receiving medical and psychological assistance in Belarus and will then be sent to Russia.
From Russian captivity, 150 servicemen and seven civilians returned to Ukraine. A total of 139 people had been held in captivity since 2022, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
“Most of the defenders released today were captured during the defence of Mariupol. A serviceman of the National Guard, who was taken captive during the seizure of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, is also returning home,” the Coordination Headquarters said.
The exchange was conducted with the mediation of the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
