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Russia and Ukraine have completed their largest prisoner swap since the war began in February 2022, exchanging hundreds of prisoners of war.

Ukrainian officials confirmed the release of 230 Ukrainian soldiers, while Russia reported the return of 248 of its soldiers, with the United Arab Emirates mediating the exchange.

This exchange, the first in nearly five months after a stall in swap deals, was confirmed by Ukraine’s human rights head, Dmytro Lubinets, who marked it as the 49th between the two nations. Some of the released Ukrainians had been detained since the early stages of the conflict, including those who participated in significant battles at Snake Island and Mariupol.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine announced the release, stating, “More than 200 of our soldiers and civilians have been returned from Russian captivity.”

On the other side, the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged the release of 248 soldiers following “complex” negotiations facilitated by the UAE.