President Volodymyr Zelensky said the freed Ukrainian prisoners had been scattered across detention centers throughout Russian territory with the aim of “humiliating them and destroying their humanity.”
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners of war each today, with the mediation of the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported on Tuesday.
“205 of our warriors have returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity,” the Defense Ministry wrote on social media.
“We fight daily for our people. Without a doubt, we will do everything possible to bring everyone back,” it added.
The exchange was also confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Today, 205 fighters have returned to Ukraine,” he wrote on social media, noting that among those released were soldiers captured during the defense of Mariupol as well as prisoners taken by Russia on nearly every other front.
Zelensky added that the Ukrainian prisoners of war had been scattered across detention centers throughout Russian territory in an effort to “humiliate them and destroy their humanity.”
For its part, Moscow stated that all Russian military personnel were initially transferred to Belarus, as a first step before being brought to Russia to receive treatment if necessary.
The exchange precedes a three-day ceasefire announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, coinciding with the celebrations of the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II. Kyiv, in contrast, is demanding a one-month pause in attacks.
“Currently, all Russian soldiers are in Belarus, where they are receiving medical and psychological assistance and have the opportunity to communicate with their families,” the military statement posted on Telegram said.
The Russian military command also stated that “all released servicemen will be transferred to Russia to receive treatment and rehabilitation at medical institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense.”
The statement particularly highlighted the humanitarian efforts of the United Arab Emirates, which made the exchange possible.
Russia and Ukraine carry out regular prisoner exchanges, the most recent of which took place on April 19, during a 30-hour truce for Orthodox Easter, when Russia handed over 277 Ukrainian soldiers and brought back 261 Russian servicemen.
Separately, Ukraine on Tuesday condemned the participation of foreign armies in the May 9 military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over the Nazis. Kyiv considers it a violation of neutrality by some governments involved in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“The participation of military personnel from those countries in the parade directly violates that declared neutrality and will be considered as support for the aggressor country,” read a statement issued by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
In recent days, speculation has grown regarding the participation of allies or countries close to Russia, such as North Korea—which has reportedly sent troops to fight alongside Russian forces in the war—and China in the May 9 parade.
The Ukrainian diplomatic note, which does not name any of the countries sending troops to parade through Red Square, reminds that Ukraine lost 5 million civilians and 3 million soldiers during World War II. Most Ukrainians who fought did so on the Soviet side.
The statement asserts Ukraine’s place among the victorious nations of WWII and notes that the country now celebrates Allied victory on May 8, alongside European countries and the U.S., rather than May 9 as it did before Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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