Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 372 prisoners of war in a deal facilitated by the United Arab Emirates.

Russia-Ukraine Exchange 372 Prisoners of War in Full Swap Amid Ceasefire Efforts

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 372 prisoners of war in a deal facilitated by the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the exchange via a post on X, stating that this was one of the largest prisoner swaps since Russia's full-scale invasion.

On Wednesday, Russia's Ministry of Defence announced that it had returned 175 soldiers along with "22 severely injured prisoners of war who required immediate medical attention," calling it a "humanitarian gesture" from their side. In return, Ukraine also released an equal number of Russian soldiers.

Zelensky confirmed the prisoner exchange, saying, "This operation is the result of the important work by our team. We thank all our partners, especially the United Arab Emirates, for helping make this exchange possible."

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had a "very good" phone call with President Zelensky, and that Zelensky's efforts for a ceasefire against Russia’s invasion were "moving very fast." Trump added that he had instructed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz to coordinate both countries' needs and demands.

During Tuesday's phone call with Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed not to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure but rejected a full 30-day ceasefire proposal.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence reported that Russia launched 145 drones overnight, of which 72 were destroyed by Ukraine’s air defense systems. The attack killed one person, damaged two hospitals, and caused power outages at several railway stations.

On the other hand, Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that its air defense systems had destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones.