Russia and Ukraine conducted a large-scale prisoner swap on Sunday, with each side releasing 146 detainees as part of a coordinated exchange facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, according to officials in Moscow and Kyiv.

The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed that all released Russian personnel were transported to Belarus, where they are receiving medical evaluations and psychological support. Among the returnees were eight civilians from Russia’s Kursk region, a border area previously affected by Ukrainian incursions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared news of the exchange on Telegram, posting images of the freed prisoners and noting that many had been held since the early stages of the 2022 invasion. The group included a journalist captured during the first month of the war. Zelenskyy expressed appreciation to the UAE for mediating the exchange and emphasized that such efforts remain ongoing.

“Exchanges are continuing,” Zelenskyy wrote, suggesting that the process is being sustained by the capture of Russian personnel on the battlefield.

The Ukrainian military later confirmed that the swap involved 146 individuals from each side. However, the release has not come without criticism. Vladimir Medinsky, a former Russian negotiator in earlier peace talks, voiced frustration over what he called Kyiv’s reluctance to promptly return civilians from the Kursk region. In a post on Telegram, he alleged that over 20 civilians remain in Ukrainian custody and accused Kyiv of slow and selective bargaining.