Russia, Ukraine Each Trade 103 Prisoners of War

Russian and Ukrainian authorities exchanged 206 prisoners of war on Sept. 14, marking their second such swap in two days, in a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
Ukrainian forces released 103 Russians they had taken captive, while Russian forces turned over 103 Ukrainians they been holding.
“I thank our exchange team for delivering such good news for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, wrote that the “vast majority” of the freed Ukrainians had been in Russian captivity since the early days of the invasion.
“The returnees need serious rehabilitation, because during their stay in captivity their state of health has deteriorated significantly,” Lubinets said.
The Russian defense ministry said the soldiers it regained in the exchange are currently in allied Belarus, receiving medical and psychological assistance before their return to Russia.
Ukraine said it may pursue additional rounds of prisoner exchanges following the Kursk offensive.
Ukrainian officials have previously said its forces had captured at least 600 Russian soldiers during the Kursk incursion, and that this would help it secure the return of captured Ukrainians. The number of prisoners taken in the Kursk offensive could not be independently verified and is subject to change amid the ongoing fighting in that region.
Lubinets said the Saturday prisoner swap marks the 57th time Russian and Ukrainian forces have exchanged prisoners of war. The Ukrainian official said the Kyiv government had secured the release of 3,672 Ukrainians since the start of the current conflict, in February 2022.
Should Russia forces take Pokrovsk, they could hinder the resupply of Ukrainian troops elsewhere in the Donbas region.
Zelenskyy has increasingly urged his backers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, to loosen restrictions on the long-range weapons they’ve sent to Ukraine, and allow his forces to strike deep inside Russia. Zelenskyy’s supporters have been reluctant to grant such requests, which could escalate the conflict.