Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are seen after a swap at an unknown location in Ukraine. Reuters

The UAE has successfully mediated a new  exchange of captives between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine, resulting in the release of 206 captives, bringing the total number of captives exchanged through UAE mediation efforts to 1,994.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its appreciation to both countries for their cooperation and responsiveness to the UAE’s mediation endeavors, which contributed to the success of the prisoner exchange despite the challenges posed by the ongoing war.

The success of the mediation efforts reflect the trust of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine in the UAE, as well as their appreciation of the UAE’s role in supporting a diplomatic path to resolve the current crisis between the two countries.

A video grab shows Russian prisoners of war (POWs) sitting in a bus following a swap at an undisclosed location. AFP

The Ministry emphasised that the success of the latest mediation, the eighth since the beginning of 2024, demonstrates the cooperative and friendly relations between the UAE and both countries.

Furthermore, the Ministry affirmed the UAE’s commitment to continuing all efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, stressing the importance of dialogue, and de-escalation.

The UAE also aims to support all initiatives to mitigate the conflict's humanitarian repercussions including the crisis regarding refugees and captives.

Notably, since the beginning of this year, the UAE’s mediation efforts have succeeded in completing eight exchanges of war captives between Russia and Ukraine, in addition to a successful exchange of two prisoners between the United States and the Russian Federation in December 2022.

WAM