Ukraine and Russia have swapped 146 prisoners from each side in a deal enabled by the UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.
The total number of prisoners exchanged by the two nations, brokered by the UAE, is now 4,641, released in 17 exchanges, the state news agency Wam reported. The ministry thanked Russia and Ukraine for their co-operation in ensuring the success of the swap.
It comes after President Sheikh Mohamed made an official visit to Moscow this month, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin. During their meeting, Sheikh Mohamed thanked Mr Putin for assisting the UAE's mediation concerning the prisoner exchanges, while Mr Putin thanked Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE’s prisoner swap efforts.
Mr Putin also met the US President Donald Trump at an airbase in Alaska for a summit. It was the first time the Russian leader has been permitted on western soil since his country's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since.
