Russia and Ukraine each released 160 prisoners of war on 26 June in the latest exchange mediated by the United Arab Emirates, bringing the total number of captives swapped through Emirati-facilitated efforts to 7,791. The Russian defence ministry confirmed that its returned servicemen were transported to Belarus for medical and psychological support before being brought to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on social media that 'we continue bringing Ukrainians home,' posting images of freed soldiers wrapped in national flags.

The UAE’s foreign ministry described the operation as the 25th successful mediation since the conflict began, attributing the outcome to the country’s 'distinguished relations' with both Moscow and Kyiv. Abu Dhabi reiterated its commitment to supporting all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution and mitigating the humanitarian consequences of the war, including the plight of refugees and captives. Bahrain’s foreign ministry separately welcomed the exchange as a 'positive and constructive humanitarian step' that contributes to de-escalation.

According to Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova, the two sides intend to conduct prisoner swaps more frequently and are expanding the agenda to include family reunifications and the return of civilians. Lantratova, who met her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Lubinets at the Belarus-Ukraine border, said the commissioners exchanged new lists of captives and would meet again in the coming days to arrange another humanitarian exchange. The Moscow-based outlet The Moscow Times notes that prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of fallen soldiers’ remains remain among the few areas of direct cooperation between the two governments.

The latest swap follows a pattern of regular exchanges: on 5 June, 185 prisoners were released by each side, and in May the formula was 205 for 205. Two exchanges took place in April, involving 175 and 193 captives respectively. The sustained frequency, facilitated by the UAE and supported by international organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, maintains a humanitarian channel that, according to the Russian ombudsman’s office, is part of a broader negotiation process encompassing missing persons and civilian detainees. The next exchange is expected to be arranged shortly following the commissioners’ upcoming meeting.