Ukraine and Russia have conducted a prisoner exchange involving 410 soldiers -- 205 from each side -- the latest in a series of swaps resulting from their ongoing war.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on May 6 that the Russian soldiers involved in the exchange, which was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, are currently in Belarus as they head back to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the action, saying the POWs came from almost "all types and branches of the armed forces," including "defenders of Mariupol and the entire front line."
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Kyiv And Moscow Exchange Hundreds Of POWs
Russia's bloody siege of the Azov Sea city of Mariupol months into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine saw fighters battle Russian troops for months before around 2,500 surrendered in May 2022.
An April 19 exchange saw 277 Ukrainian POWs return home, according to Kyiv, while Moscow says it received 246 soldiers. In total, more than 3,000 prisoners have been swapped through U.A.E.-mediated exchanges since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The latest swap comes as renewed Western efforts to resolve the conflict, pushed in large part by US President Donald Trump, have begun to falter, as Russia continues to press its advantage on the battlefield in Ukraine.
SEE ALSO: Her Partner Was A POW In Ukraine. Now She Helps Others Return HomeDespite an earlier tentative agreement to limit attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine and Russia have also continued to target oil pipelines, power plants, electricity transmission lines, and other crucial sites.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a three-day cease-fire in its Ukraine invasion beginning on May 8 to coincide with Victory Day celebrations.
The proposal was dismissed by Kyiv as "theater." Zelenskyy has called instead for a longer, 30-day cease-fire.