Russia, Ukraine confirm another exchange of prisoners

MOSCOW

Both Russia and Ukraine on Saturday confirmed that they exchanged more prisoners of war.

"On October 29, as a result of the negotiation process, 50 Russian servicemen, who were in mortal danger in captivity, were returned from the territory controlled by the Kyiv regime," a Russian Defense Ministry statement said.

It added that the released servicemen will be transported to Moscow by military transport planes, where they will undergo treatment and rehabilitation in medical institutions of the Russian Defense Ministry.

In a separate statement, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential administration, said 52 officers, medics, sergeants, and soldiers have returned home thanks to the prisoner exchange with Russia.

"We do not stop and continue to fulfill the President's task of 'bringing all Ukrainians home.' I thank the coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war," Yermak wrote on Telegram.

According to Yermak, 12 servicemen of Ukraine's national guard, 18 sailors, eight border guards, nine territorial defense fighters, three soldiers of Ukraine's armed forces, and two civilians returned to Ukraine after the exchange.

Earlier this month, the two countries exchanged more than 100 prisoners of war in the first all-female prisoner swap deal since the war began in February.

On Sept. 21, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 200 prisoners of war, including senior Ukrainian commanders, as a result of Türkiye's mediation and diplomatic efforts conducted with the leaders of the two countries.