Russia announced on Saturday (24) the exchange of 115 prisoners of war, held in captivity, two weeks after the invasion of Kursk. Another 115 soldiers were handed over to the Ukrainian army.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the move was the result of a negotiation process mediated by the United Arab Emirates. The country has already intervened in six other exchanges since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, totaling 1,788 military personnel transferred.
According to Telegram channels and military bloggers, the Russian prisoners released on Saturday are conscripts who were serving in the military when the invasion took place. They were taken to Belarus, where they will undergo medical and psychological treatment.
Surveillance of the Russian border is the responsibility of the Federal Security Service, but given the limitations, the Ministry of Defense created three new military groups in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions.
The “strategic surprise” launched on August 6 by Ukrainian troops, starting with the incursion into the Kursk border region, changed the military dynamics and the political scenario on both sides. Since then, Russia has been making efforts to strengthen its defenses.
Also on Saturday, remembered by Ukrainians as the 33rd anniversary of the former Soviet republic’s independence, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a bill banning the Moscow-linked Orthodox Church as part of a “retaliation” for Russia invading his country.