Russia and Ukraine completed this Wednesday a prisoner of war exchange involving 103 military personnel from each side, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed ton August 19 that 103 Russian soldiers were returned to their country from territory controlled by Kiev. Simultaneously, Russian authorities handed over the same number of Ukrainian prisoners of war who remained in their custody.
The agreement marks another step in the ongoing exchange process between the two nations in conflict.
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Following the deal, the contingent of Russian servicemen was temporarily transferred to Belarus. In that country, the troops receive direct attention and follow-up from the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Yana Lantratova, in addition to undergoing medical and psychological evaluations. Once these priority reviews conclude on Belarusian territory, the recovered soldiers will be transported to hospitals belonging to the Ministry of Defense on Russian soil to complete their rehabilitation processes.
Russian authorities confirmed that the soldiers returning to their homeland will now begin medical and psychological rehabilitation programs designed to support their reintegration into civilian life.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the management of the exchange between both parties in conflict received diplomatic support from the United Arab Emirates, a country that acted as mediator for the realization of this procedure. The UAE has positioned itself in recent years as a neutral broker in international humanitarian negotiations, facilitating dialogue between parties that lack direct communication channels.
Latest UAE Mediation Efforts Succeed in Exchange of 206 Captives Between Russia and Ukraine https://t.co/HSICQrOb4k pic.twitter.com/cyqPRr7xpv
— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) August 19, 2026
Previous Exchanges Noted
The previous prisoner of war exchange occurred on June 26, when both nations completed the reciprocal delivery of 160 soldiers per side. Subsequently, on August 13, Moscow and Kiev carried out the liberation of civilians under their custody, including eight Russian nationals and seven Ukrainians. That operation also included the return of the remains of military personnel who died in the conflict, corresponding to 261 Ukrainians and 24 Russians.
These successive exchanges reflect an ongoing negotiation channel between Moscow and Kiev despite the continuation of hostilities on the battlefield. Humanitarian organizations and international observers have welcomed the prisoner swaps as one of the few areas where both parties maintain functional communication and mutual agreement.
However, the conflict continues to exact a heavy toll on the populations of both countries. Just days before the exchange, Russian air defenses intercepted nearly 800 Ukrainian drones in a single night in what was described as the largest attack on Moscow in two years. The escalation of aerial strikes has intensified concerns about the humanitarian situation and the protection of civilians in urban centers.
The exchanges also highlight the role of regional powers in mediating between Russia and Ukraine. The United Arab Emirates has facilitated several humanitarian operations throughout the conflict, joining other actors such as Qatar and Türkiye in efforts to secure the release of detainees and the return of remains.
On August 19, 103 Russian servicemen returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime in exchange for 103 Ukrainian POWs.
The UAE provided humanitarian mediation assistance in the return of the Russian servicemen.https://t.co/vEFoWmnmyJ pic.twitter.com/S1WP3a9Jjs
— MFA Russia
(@mfa_russia) August 19, 2026
The ongoing diplomatic efforts suggest that additional exchanges could follow in the coming months as both parties continue to explore humanitarian agreements despite the broader geopolitical tensions that sustain the conflict.
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