Ukraine and Russia have swapped 84 prisoners from each side in a deal enabled by the UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday.
The total number of prisoners exchanged by the two nations, brokered by the UAE, is now 4,349, released in 16 exchanges.
The move was welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who posted a statement on X.
"We are bringing Ukrainians back home to Ukraine. A new exchange, 84 people, both military personnel and civilians. Almost all of them require medical care and significant rehabilitation," he wrote.
He said those being released included Ukrainians being held by Russia since 2014. The "defenders of Mariupol" were among those being released in the exchange on Thursday, he added.
"I thank the UAE for its assistance in this exchange. And above all, I thank our warriors who replenish Ukraine’s 'exchange fund' every week on the front line," wrote Mr Zelenskyy.
"The bravery and effectiveness of our units on the front line make it possible, among other things, to bring our people back home. There will be more exchanges."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its thanks to Ukraine and Russia for the success of the UAE's mediation efforts, state news agency Wam reported.
"With the success of this mediation, the total number of Emirati mediations during the crisis has reached 16, confirming the strength and excellence of the UAE's relations with both the Russian Federation and Ukraine," Wam said.
The ministry affirmed the UAE would continue to ensure the success of various efforts aimed at reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and mitigating the humanitarian impact of the war.
President Sheikh Mohamed made an official visit to Moscow last week, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During their meeting, Sheikh Mohamed thanked Mr Putin for facilitating the UAE's mediation concerning the prisoner exchanges, while Mr Putin thanked Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE’s prisoner swap efforts.
Mr Putin is due to meet US President Donald Trump at an airbase in Alaska on Friday for a summit, which the Kremlin said would focus on "the resolution of the Ukraine crisis".
It will be the first time the Russian leader has been permitted on western soil since his country's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Dubai Women's Tour teams
Agolico BMC
Andy Schleck Cycles-Immo Losch
Aromitalia Basso Bikes Vaiano
Cogeas Mettler Look
Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport
Hitec Products – Birk Sport
Kazakhstan National Team
Kuwait Cycling Team
Macogep Tornatech Girondins de Bordeaux
Minsk Cycling Club
Pannonia Regional Team (Fehérvár)
Team Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Team Ciclotel
UAE Women’s Team
Under 23 Kazakhstan Team
Wheel Divas Cycling Team
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Your Guide to the Home
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