Russia and Ukraine have carried out their fifth prisoner exchange of the year, with both sides swapping 205 captured soldiers, officials from both nations announced on Tuesday.

According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, “As a result of the negotiations, 205 Russian service members have been returned.” They noted that in return, Ukraine received 205 of its Armed Forces’ prisoners of war.

The exchange was facilitated with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates, the ministry stated, indicating that the returning Russian soldiers were undergoing medical and psychological assessments in Belarus.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the exchange via social media, sharing images of soldiers wrapped in Ukrainian flags.

“Our people are free. Our people have returned home,” Zelensky posted on X. “These are young and older individuals from nearly all branches of the Armed Forces, including the defenders of Mariupol and those along the entire front line.”

He further remarked that “They have been dispersed across various regions in Russia, trapped in a system designed solely to torment them and strip away their humanity.”

Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia and Ukraine have engaged in numerous prisoner swaps.

AFP contributed to this report.