Rudolph Angler Ukraine and Russia carried out a prisoner swap on Wednesday, with 150 Ukrainian fighters returning home, announced President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram.
Zelenskyy shared footage showing jubilant prisoners wrapped in Ukrainian flags, stepping off buses and embracing their families.
For security reasons, Ukrainian officials did not disclose the reunion location.
Zelenskyy expressed his joy, stating that for the released soldiers and their families, this day was worth years of waiting.
“It is true happiness to see them home, alive and free,” Zelenskyy wrote in his message.
Some of the freed prisoners had spent over two years in Russian captivity, he added.
Both Ukraine and Russia thanked the United Arab Emirates for facilitating the exchange through humanitarian mediation.
Zelenskyy acknowledged the UAE and other partners for their continued efforts in bringing Ukrainians home.
Russia’s defence ministry confirmed that its released troops were undergoing medical evaluations in Belarus before returning home.