Russia, Ukraine exchange 103 captured soldiers each

Russia and Ukraine each handed over 103 captured soldiers on Wednesday, both countries said, in the latest prisoner exchange between the warring sides.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said 103 Ukrainian soldiers were returning from Russian captivity. He said those freed included defenders of Mariupol, the port city devastated during a months-long siege in 2022, and troops captured across seven frontline regions.

Russia's defence ministry said 103 Russian servicemen were returned and 103 Ukrainian prisoners of war were handed over in exchange.

The ministry said the freed Russian soldiers were in Belarus and would be flown to Russia for rehabilitation after receiving psychological and medical care. It said the United Arab Emirates mediated the exchange.

Prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of soldiers' remains have been among the few areas of cooperation between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022.

Talks on ending the conflict remain effectively frozen. The United Nations says the civilian death toll in 2026 has risen to the highest levels since the war's first months.