Russia and Ukraine carried out the largest exchange of prisoners on Wednesday since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian authorities said 230 Ukrainian prisoners of war had returned home in the first exchange in almost five months. For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry said 248 Russian servicemen had been released under the UAE-sponsored deal.
An exchange under the auspices of the United Arab Emirates
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attributed the success of the exchange to “strong friendly relations between the UAE with Russia and Ukraine, supported by calls at the highest levels“.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said it was the 49th prisoner exchange during the war.
Several Ukrainians had been detained since 2022. Among them were some of those who fought in major battles such as in the city of Mariupol.
The two countries intensify their strikes
On Wednesday, Russia said it shot down 12 missiles fired at the Belgorod border region.
The situation in the regional capital “stay tense”said the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, on Telegram.
“The air defense systems worked”he added, promising more details on possible damage.
Ukraine fired two Tochka-U missiles and seven rockets into the region on Tuesday, then six Tochka-U missiles and six Vilkha rockets on Wednesday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out against the Belgorod attacks. “They want to intimidate us and create uncertainty in our country,” he said, vowing to step up retaliation.
Many Russian military bloggers regretted that Moscow withdrew from the border zone in September 2022 following a rapid counter-offensive by Kyiv, and they claimed that more territory needed to be seized to secure Belgorod and other border areas.
Russia has recently stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities, including using Kinjal missiles that can fly at 10 times the speed of sound.
Kremlin forces appear to be targeting Ukraine’s defense industry, the British Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday. The assault prompted Kyiv officials to ask their Western allies to provide additional air defense support.
NATO announced on Wednesday that it would help member countries purchase up to 1,000 guided missiles surface-to-air Patriot in a deal that could cost around $5.5 billion. This could allow alliance members to send more of their own defense systems to Ukraine.