(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) ABU DHABI, Aug 24 (KUNA) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed on Sunday its gratitude to Russia and Ukraine for their cooperation in the success of the UAE-mediated prisoner exchange, which included 146 prisoners from each side, totaling 292.
In a statement carried by the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the total number of prisoners exchanged between Moscow and Kyiv following UAE mediation has reached 4,641, and that the UAE has conducted 17 mediation efforts between the two countries since the start of the crisis.
The Ministry added that the success of the mediation reflects both countries' appreciation of the UAE as a trusted mediator working to support efforts aimed at resolving the crisis between them, and underscores the depth of the UAE's relations with both the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
The statement also noted that the UAE will continue its efforts to support all initiatives aimed at reaching a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and mitigating its humanitarian impact.
Earlier today, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Moscow and Kyiv had completed a prisoner exchange through a humanitarian mediation by the UAE, involving the return of 146 Russian military personnel and a matching number of Ukrainian soldiers.
The ministry also stated that the operation was not limited to a prisoner swap, but also included the release of eight Russian civilians from the Kursk region who had been held unlawfully. (end)
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