On Tuesday evening, Moscow and Kyiv announced that they had exchanged 90 prisoners of war from each side, with mediation by the United Arab Emirates. This marked the first direct meeting between Ukrainian and Russian representatives on the sidelines of the prisoner exchange, which was described as an unprecedented operation after over two and a half years of conflict.
During the exchange, representatives from the Russian ombudsman’s office arrived for the first time to record possible human rights violations, according to Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. They conducted interviews with the released prisoners from both sides. This initiative was a new step by Ukraine, which the Russian side agreed to for the first time. The exchange of information on possible options for returning civilians currently in detention centers was also discussed.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners since the Russian invasion in February 2022, as well as regularly exchanged the remains of soldiers killed in the conflict. In April, officials from both countries met in Qatar to discuss the issue of children displaced by the war. This exchange of prisoners and ongoing discussions mark important steps in the efforts to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.