Russia and Ukraine have conducted their latest exchange of prisoners of war, with each receiving 157 troops, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.
Additionally, three civilians abducted by Ukrainian forces during their incursion into Kursk Region were freed, the statement said.
The exchange was announced earlier in the day by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who said the agreement was sealed during Washington-backed talks between Moscow and Kiev in Abu Dhabi.
The Russian Defense Ministry marked the role that the government of the United Arab Emirates played as a mediator of the exchange.
Witkoff said the exchange served as proof that “sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.” The two-day meeting was the second this year. Participants reported making progress in formulating a peace deal, but no breakthrough was announced.