Russia and Ukraine swap at least 300 prisoners of war

Russia and Ukraine have conducted a much-anticipated prisoner swap just ahead of the new year.

Moscow's defence ministry said each side freed 150 prisoners of war in a swap on Monday, although Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 189 of Kyiv's soldiers had been brought home.

It's not immediately clear why there is a discrepancy in the numbers reported, but Ukrainian officials said it was one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the full-scale war began in 2022.

Both sides said the United Arab Emirates had acted as a mediator.

The Russian captives were released on Belarusian territory and are being transferred to Russia, the defence ministry said.

In a statement on Telegram, Mr Zelenskyy thanked the UAE and other partners for facilitating the swap.

"The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. And today is one of such days: our team managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home," he said.

The returning Ukrainians included soldiers, sergeants and officers from different frontline areas, as well as two civilians who were captured in the southern port of Mariupol in 2022.

Some of the soldiers had defended the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the Snake Island.

Pictures shared by Mr Zelenskyy showed dozens of men sitting in a bus, some of them wrapped in Ukraine's national blue and yellow flags.

"Everyone has relatives and friends waiting for them at home. And it is a joy that we managed to return them. Today, another 189 families are happy," the Ukrainian president added.

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There have been only 10 other prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine this year, the lowest number since the full-scale invasion began.

The last swap was in mid-October, with each side bringing back 95 prisoners.

Earlier this month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed he had approached both Russia and Ukraine with an offer of a Christmas truce and a prisoner exchange but that Kyiv rejected this.

Ukraine's Presidential Office said a major prisoner swap by the end of the year was being discussed, although it denied any contact with Hungary on the matter.

Russia has been making advances on the frontlines in recent months, particularly in eastern Ukraine and in the Russian region of Kursk.